Labour shadow minister Wes Streeting has been diagnosed with kidney cancer, he confirmed in a video on Twitter.
The MP for Ilford North said the news has come as “enormous shock” but doctors have said he can expect to make a full recovery.
The 38-year-old said a lump was discovered when he was in hospital for treatment with a kidney stone in March.
Streeting is a rising star in the Labour Party and was appointed as Keir Starmer’s shadow secretary of state for child poverty in a reshuffle last week.
In the video, Streeting thanked friends, family and Labour activists for supported, and added: “While receiving a cancer diagnosis at the age of 38 has come as an enormous shock, the good news is because of that kidney stone the cancer has been caught early, my prognosis is very good and I should make a full recovery.
“But it does mean I have to take time off work for treatment.”
“I want to say a massive thank you to my family, close friends and colleagues who supported me through what has been a really difficult period.
“And I also want to say thank you to all of the Labour candidates and activists I joined on the doorstep because without knowing it, they made such a difference to me during what was a really difficult time, taking my mind off things and helping me to crack on as normal.
“I will be taking time off from the end of next week and during that time, if you’re an Ilford North constituent and you need my help as your local MP, you should continue to contact my office as normal and my brilliant team of staff will be there to support you.
“But in the meantime I’m going to be following doctors’ orders.
“My family have made it very clear and actually so has Keir that I will not be coming back until I’ve made a full recovery.”
Starmer was among those wishing Streeting well. He tweeted: “The thoughts of the whole Labour Party are with Wes and his family at this difficult time. Wes is a friend and a colleague and I know he’ll come back from this even stronger and more determined than ever before.
“I can’t wait to see him back in parliament as soon as possible.”
