'I can surmount the challenge'

Brian Lenihan has said he is confident he can surmount the challenge posed by his recent diagnosis with cancer.

In an interview with RTÉ News, the Minister for Finance talked publicly for first time about his illness and his plans to stay in office during the course of his treatment.

His health had been the subject of much media speculation since his cancer diagnosis was reported by TV3 on St Stephen's Day.

Mr Lenihan (50) said a blockage at the entrance to his pancreas, diagnosed just prior to Christmas, was found to contain cancerous tissue but doctors had managed to insert a stent to allow his pancreas function normally.

He said he had been advised to undergo a course chemo and radiotherapy to combat the cancer which he plans to commence later this week.

Asked if his condition could be described as pancreatic cancer, Mr Lenihan said his doctors had simply informed him that there is cancerous tissue at the entrance to his pancreas and “he was no going to go to a medical textbook to elaborate beyond that”.

“It’s clear enough. It’s a growth and it’s a growth I intend to defeat or it will defeat me,” he said.

In an emotional interview, an upbeat Mr Lenihan said he may have to undergo surgery in future, but it was not possible at this stage as the cancer was too close to an important blood vessel.

“The cancerous material is there, and it requires to be contained, and if possible eliminated and that’s the challenge facing my medical advisers and myself, and I’ll face that challenge and I’m confident I can surmount that challenge.”

While acknowledging his treatment could, at times, be “debilitating”, Mr Lenihan insisted he would be capable of carrying out his duties as a minister.

“I don’t envisage that I won’t be able to perform my functions but clearly I will review the position and the country will come first in this”.

The father-of-two said he would not be accepting invitations for speaking engagements in the next few months to limit the chance of infection during the course of his treatment, but he pledged to press on with the duties of his office.

“When you’re facing a challenge of this type, it is often better that you maintain your work or your work pattern,” he said.

Mr Lenihan said he believed “mental disposition” was important with such conditions. He said tests revealed he had no secondary infections, and that the rest of his body was in good shape. “Clearly a body in good shape like that is in a position to put up a formidable resistance and that’s what I’m going to do.”

But he rejected suggestions that he would have to be a part-time minister while he received treatment for his condition. “I don’t see myself as a part-time minister. I see myself as a minister that will focus on the essential constitutional functions of the job.”

Asked if he was forced to change his plans about informing his wider family and friends after details of his health were reported by TV3 on St Stephen’s Day, Mr Lenihan said he did not think the public interest had been served by the decision of the broadcaster to run with the story.

“It is of public interest the medical condition of the minister of finance. I don’t have an issue about that. I don’t see why it was of public interest to broadcast this information on St Stephen’s Day as distinct from, say, January 4th," he said. “I would have liked a slightly longer opportunity to explain matters to my wider family and friends."

He said he had been overwhelmed by the degree of public goodwill that has been expressed following reports of his diagnosis, and he “very much appreciated” this.

Mr Lenihan also revealed he had spoken with Fine Gael’s deputy leader and finance spokesman Richard Bruton to ensure the goodwill of political foes did not impact on the normal political processes.

“I made it very clear to him that I would expect the Opposition spokespersons to maintain the vigour of their criticism of Government policy because it is very important we have vigorous debate about the economic crisis,” he said.

“The last thing I would want would be for them or other participants in those debates to feel inhibited because of my medical condition.”