Good day. We're coming on the year with breaking news.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

That's according to a new statement from Walter Reed Medical Center where Austin was hospitalized.

It comes as Austin has been treated there for several days

including the intensive care unit. It was admitted on New Year's Day for complications

from a surgery he had to address the prostate cancer.

The Pentagon did not disclose his hospitalization until several days later.

NBC News also learned that President Biden or Austin second and command knew about his condition

until days later.

Walter Reed Medical Center also saying that the defense secretary never lost consciousness

nor underwent general anesthesia.

Let's go straight to NBC News Pentagon correspondent Courtney Kube.

Courtney, how significant is this?

It's very significant.

So we finally are learning some of the details surrounding what's been sort of the biggest

mystery in DC that we've seen in quite some time.

On December 22nd, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin went to Walter Reed for what the

Pentagon has been describing as an elective medical procedure. What we now know

was in fact treating prostate cancer. Now initially he spent the night there was discharged on the

23rd. Initially his prognosis was excellent but about 10 days later on

New Year's day he started experiencing extreme pain in his leg in his extremities and he was taken to the hospital via

ambulance. Now initially he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection according to the statement

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