Conservative MP Luc Berthold says he has prostate cancer but not stepping down | CBC News

Conservative MP Luc Berthold announced on Sunday that he has prostate cancer but still plans to run in the next federal election, despite requiring an operation.

The longtime member of Parliament for Quebec’s Mégantic—L’Érable federal riding shared the news on social media, saying he received the diagnosis in 2024.

“My prostate is sick and it has cancer. In the next few weeks, I’ll have to get rid of it to prevent the disease from spreading elsewhere in my bones and organs,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Having lost both my mother and father to throat and lung cancer, I have to admit that the specialist’s words stirred up old pains and bad memories in my head.”

But Berthold said there was reason for optimism because the cancer has so far not spread, which means he’ll be able to get treated for the disease and undergo surgery in Quebec City in the coming weeks.

Berthold also said he has no intention of stepping down as an MP. “Rest assured, I have no intention of resigning, and I will be a candidate in the next federal election for the new riding of Mégantic-l’Érable-Lotbinière,” he said.

“I will, however, need to take a few weeks off to recover from the operation that will rid me of my sick prostate. This could happen at any time, the sooner the better, and perhaps even during the upcoming election campaign.”

Berthold was first elected under the federal Conservative banner in 2015 and won re-election in both 2019 and 2021. He previously served as mayor of Thetford Mines, Que., from 2006 to 2013.