Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, was treated for early-stage prostrate cancer, said a statement from his office.
He was diagnosed in February, the statement said, and underwent two months of radiation treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. “The treatment is assessed to have been successful,” said the statement, released to CNN by Col. Erik O. Gunhus, a spokesman for Petraeus, 56, the overall U.S. commander in Iraq and Afghanistan. The treatment had “minimal impact on his work schedule as he was spending 4-5 days a week in Washington, D.C., for various policy reviews and other Pentagon activities at that time,” the statement said. Petraeus made at least one overseas trip during the radiation treatment. He regarded his illness a personal matter and kept it largely private because it did not interfere with his duties, the statement said. However, President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , were made aware of Petraeus’ condition, the statement said.
