Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, city officials confirmed Wednesday.
The 62-year-old met with staff members to explain his diagnosis after having undergone several few months of testing and speaking to his doctors.
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The City of Quebec notes Labeaume will adjust his schedule accordingly “in anticipation of the future” and will soon have to be absent for an indefinite period of time.
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“That being said, Mr. Labeaume will continue to perform his duties while delegating certain responsibilities to his team members,” officials said in a statement, adding that it is revealing the diagnosis in the “interest of transparency.”
“Prostate cancer often appears without any particular symptoms, so it is important for men to discuss it with their doctor.”
The longtime mayor was first elected in 2007 after the death of former mayor Andrée Boucher.
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He has been consistently re-elected every election since then.
Labeaume does not plan to give any interviews to talk about the diagnosis.
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