Singapore PM emerges from 'successful' prostate cancer surgery

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has successfully undergone surgery for prostate cancer and is expected to make a full recovery, his office said.

On Sunday, Lee's office announced he would have an operation to remove his prostate gland and would take a week's medical leave, with Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean heading the government.

"The surgery went very smoothly, and he is expected to recover fully," Professor Christopher Cheng, lead urologist at the Singapore General Hospital, said.

Lee, 63, was previously diagnosed with lymphoma in 1992 but the cancer went into remission after chemotherapy.

Cheng said there was no relationship between the lymphoma and the current cancer.

Lee's illness raises questions about the need for a succession plan should he step down in future, as his ruling People's Action Party has not named a successor.