RACINE - Mayor Gary Becker will undergo surgery next week to have a cancerous kidney removed.

On his way out the door Wednesday for the Thanksgiving holiday, Becker sent a letter by e-mail to city employees and city officials telling them of his upcoming operation.

Becker will enter the hospital Monday. Doctors will remove one of his kidneys because of a cancerous tumor - a renal mass - discovered earlier this month, Becker said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

"It is contained and has not spread, so it is not a big deal," Becker said in his letter.

Becker said he didn't think there would be a need for either radiation treatment or chemotherapy.

Becker was hospitalized for two days following the November election because of a nagging upper respiratory infection. Doctors performed some routine tests, he said.

The infection had been affecting Becker for a few weeks leading up to the election, he said.

"It wasn't getting better. It was getting worse because I wasn't taking it easy," Becker said.

An X-ray determined that Becker did not have pneumonia, but doctors did discover a tumor on one of his kidneys.

Becker will enter Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Wauwatosa on Dec. 1 for the operation.

City Administrator Ben Hughes will handle the city's day-to-day business, Becker said. Alderman David Maack will run Tuesday's City Council meeting, he added.

"Other than that, there is not a whole lot that would require anybody to step up at this time of year," Becker said.

Becker expects to spend two to three nights at the hospital following his surgery. He then plans to spend a week or so recovering at home, he said. He expects to recover fully without any need for follow-up treatments.

"They say the kidney is today's gall bladder operation. It's gotten to be pretty routine, as routine as removing a body organ can be," Becker said. "To be honest with you, you figure you're in pretty good hands. It doesn't give me a whole lot of concern."