John Horgan, premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on Thursday said he would have surgery on Friday to deal with a lump in his throat and intended to remain in his job.
Horgan, 62, became premier in 2017, leading a minority left-leaning New Democrat government for more than three years before winning a majority in September 2020.
"After noticing a lump in my neck, I went to the doctor to get a number of tests over the past few weeks. Those tests have revealed a growth in my throat that requires surgery tomorrow," he said in a statement. "Any further treatment will be determined after the surgery."
Horgan, who was operated on for bladder cancer in 2008, said he would stay in his job but had appointed public safety minister Mike Farnworth to be deputy premier "out of an abundance of caution".
British Columbia's economy - the fourth largest among the 10 Canadian provinces - accounts for around 13% of national gross domestic product.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Grant McCool)
