Olmert keeps busy, upbeat after prostate cancer diagnosis; Israeli men increasing checkups

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday he wasn't slowing down after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, boasting about his strenuous morning exercise.

Doctors say early detection means he has a good chance of avoiding long-term damage from the disease or the upcoming surgery to cure it, and Olmert said he's pleased his case is inspiring large numbers of Israeli men to get tested.

"I personally, as you can see, I'm continuing my schedule on an ordinary basis. I had a very hard workout this morning," he said, at a news conference alongside President Shimon Peres. "I have no other news to share with you about this."

Olmert, 62, called a news conference last week to inform the public that a biopsy, following a routine medical check, revealed a microscopic, non life-threatening tumor in his prostate gland. Since then, Olmert has kept his active, healthy lifestyle and vowed that cancer would not impair his ability to lead Israel.

Yaacov Ramon, the doctor scheduled to perform Olmert's surgery, has said the procedure can wait several months and should eliminate the cancer completely.

Ramon would not take questions from The Associated Press, but another prostate cancer expert said a patient in Olmert's condition should not suffer either adverse physical nor psychological affects.

"This is not a cancer that has a bad prognosis. On the contrary, it has an excellent prognosis," said Dr. Marc Wygoda, from the department of oncology at Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem. "Normally it does not affect at all the capacity to function."

He said Olmert's reported score of six on the Gleason scale — a method of grading cancer cells or tissue removed in the biopsy — amounted to "an early, low-grade prostate cancer."

Wygoda, who is not directly familiar with Olmert's specific data, said aside from surgery, the prime minister could have also chosen treatments ranging from radiation to nothing at all — known as "watchful waiting."

"He has elected to undergo surgery, which sounds like a logical approach, given the fact that he is relatively young and in good general condition," he said.

Olmert is renowned for his conditioning — he is often spotted jogging in Jerusalem, surrounded by security — and takes pride in fitting regular exercise sessions into his busy schedule.

The Israel Cancer Association commended Olmert for his candor in disclosing and discussing his disease. Each year, about 380 Israeli men die and 2,250 new cases are discovered, it said. Since Olmert's announcement, the association said it has witnesses a marked increase in men logging on to its Web site, signing up for its cancer seminars and arriving at clinic for prostate checkups.

The most common check is annual blood test for a protein that indicates changes in the prostate gland.

"I urge every person to take regular checkups. It's very important," Olmert said. "I heard that this has inspired some people to take early medical consultations. I hope many will do it."

Wygoda said he hoped Olmert's case would help destigmitize prostate cancer.

"Unlike what people believe, cancer can be a well treated and fully cured disease, and it is a good thing that the public is going to see that again," he said. Prostate cancer discovered early has one of the highest cancer cure rates.

Olmert's doctors said the surgery — which will be conducted after Olmert returns from a U.S.-hosted peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland — will take about four hours and require a number of days of hospitalization followed by a brief recuperation period at home. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is expected to replace Olmert if he is incapacitated.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men, according to statistics compiled by the American Cancer Society. Rudi Giuliani, the former New York mayor, and a friend of Olmert, dropped out of the New York Senate race in 2000 after he was diagnosed with the disease, but returned to politics for the 2008 presidential race.

Several other high profile U.S. politicians have disclosed their battles with cancer in recent years, including fellow Republican U.S. presidential candidates Fred Thompson and Sen. John McCain.

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, has battled breast cancer, and White House spokesman Tony Snow recently had surgery for cancer that spread to his liver.

The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland beneath the base of the penis that produces the seminal fluid that, along with sperm, comprises semen.

Wygoda said the two main potential complications from prostate surgery were urinary incontinence and impotence resulting from nerve damage. The chances of those problems occurring in a patient diagnosed as early as Olmert, he said, were very low.

"Based on the information we have, the risks of that should be limited to a few percent," Wygoda said.