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Stormont Minister Edwin Poots has revealed he is waiting for an operation after being diagnosed with kidney cancer.<\/p>\nStormont Minister Edwin Poots has revealed he is waiting for an operation after being diagnosed with kidney cancer.<\/p>\n
He said a tumor on his kidney was discovered by chance when he underwent surgery on a burst appendix before Christmas.<\/p>\n
A scan taken as part of his treatment detected the growth on his kidney.<\/p>\n
The 55-year-old Lagan Valley representative said surgery to remove the kidney had been delayed due to the disruption to non-Covid services caused by the pandemic.<\/p>\n
The fact that you have cancer and that the health service isn\u2019t available to you to carry out the surgery for you, that is a significant struggle<\/p>\n
Mr Poots has vowed to continue his ministerial work as he awaits the procedure. He said his prognosis was good.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t have known about the cancer growth had it not been for the appendix,\u201d he told the Belfast News Letter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m hugely grateful that I have felt the hand of God upon my life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fact that you have cancer and that the health service isn\u2019t available to you to carry out the surgery for you, that is a significant struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Poots said he was told about the discovery as he recovered from appendix surgery, adding he did not have symptoms and was otherwise feeling well.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe surgeon told me the operation had gone well, but that when they were looking at my scan they noticed there was a growth over part of my right kidney and they regarded it as suspicious,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the back of that I have been visiting hospital getting tests and so forth done and I need to have my right kidney removed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the signs would be that it is a cancerous tumor and that it\u2019s growing on my kidney. They haven\u2019t tested it but all the knowledge that the specialists would have would indicate that it is cancerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir desire is to remove it, and they are of the opinion that the removal of the kidney will cure it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI should not require chemotherapy or radiotherapy.<\/p>\n
\u201cMentally, I am comfortable about the circumstances I find myself in, my prognosis is good and I believe I will come out the other side OK.\u201d<\/p>\n