Cambodia king diagnosed with prostate cancer: statement

Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, he said in a statement on Friday, and will stay in China for prolonged treatment for the disease.

Doctors in Beijing "have confirmed that currently I have prostate cancer", the 72-year-old king said in a statement to his country, adding that doctors have prescribed hospitalisation of up to two months for treatment.

A lifelong bachelor who speaks French, Czech and English, Sihamoni spent most of his adult life abroad pursuing a career in the arts before taking the throne in 2004.

He took over the role after his father King Norodom Sihanouk abdicated following his own cancer treatment in Beijing.

Sihamoni's reign as head of state has been largely symbolic under a deal struck between his father and Cambodia's leadership in 1993, allowing him to re-ascend the throne after years in exile. 

AFP