Re-elected Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce reveals he has cancer

Newly re-elected MP Barnaby Joyce has revealed he has prostate cancer.

The long-time Nationals member for New England and former deputy prime minister says the disease is in its early stages, and he will have surgery tomorrow.

He is urging other men to get checked.

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Joyce said he was diagnosed after a prostate-specific antigen test by his GP, which indicated something was wrong.

He then had scans and a biopsy.

He said the cancer was caught at an early stage.

"If I thought it was very serious, of course I'd resign, but my doctors or surgeons say, 'You're very lucky you've got it early'," he told the ABC

Joyce, who posted photos of himself campaigning over the past few weeks on social media, said the election campaign was a "welcome distraction" but he didn't want to share his diagnosis then.

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Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men in Australia and the third most common cause of cancer death, according to the federal government.

One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 85, with 18,000 cases a year.

However many cases can be successfully treated.

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Symptoms of prostate cancer include:

• A need to urinate frequently, especially at night
• Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine
• Weak or interrupted flow of urine
• Painful or burning urination
• Difficulty in having an erection
• Painful ejaculation
• Blood in urine or semen
• Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs