THE HAGUE, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan has been diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer this week, the 61-year-old politician announced in a letter to the Amsterdam citizens on Friday.
"Although there will be more clarity on the nature and prognosis in the near future, it appears that the diagnosis shows little reason for optimism," Van der Laan wrote on the website of the municipality of the city.
Van der Laan will stay on as mayor of Amsterdam, but some tasks will be taken over by aldermen of the city.
It is not the first time that Van der Laan is diagnosed with cancer. In 2013 he was treated for prostate cancer and at that time he remained mayor.
Last year Van der Laan started his second term and he was reappointed for a period of six years.
From November 2008 until February 2010 he was Dutch Minister for Housing, Communities and Integration. In mid-2010, Van der Laan succeeded Job Cohen as mayor of Amsterdam.
