Ehud Olmert

Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has revealed that he has prostate cancer.

The Israeli leader announced at a surprise news conference on Monday that "first signs of a cancerous growth on the prostate" were discovered during a routine checkup he underwent last week.

Olmert, 62, said he would undergo minor surgery in the coming months but would be spared radioactive treatments or chemotherapy. His ability to govern will not be affected, Olmert said.

"I will be fit and fully up to my duties before the procedure and within a few hours of its conclusion," he said.

(c) JTA