BOSTON -- Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is scheduled to have prostate surgery Wednesday and he says he is confident he will beat the disease.

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NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that Kerry gets that confidence from his doctor, who we talked to on the telephone from Baltimore. That's where the senator will be having his surgery.

The surgery will take about two hours and given and the early detection, Kerry has a great chance at full recovery, his physicians said.

Kerry, 59, learned Chrismas Eve that he had prostate cancer and since then has met with doctors and set up an aggressive treatment plan.

He didn't go public with the diagnosis until Tuesday, when he held a press conference to talk about his medical condition and to vow to stay on the presidential campaign trail.

Kerry's physician, Dr. Patrick Walsh, said his chances for a full recovery are good.

"He has the best numbers that anyone could ever have. His PSA is low, it's only 3.4. His Gleason score is 6. He has a 97 percent chance of having an undetectable GSA -- that means a cure -- 10 years from now," Walsh said.

A pioneer in the field, Walsh said he has found a way to remove the prostate without damaging the nerves that can lead to oncontinence and impotence.

Kerry's cancer was detected during a routine year-end physical at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

"It was two consecutive elevations in a two year period of time that led me to recommend that he have further tests," said Dr. Gerald Doyle.

Kerry, who announced in December his plans to run for the presidency in 2004, went public with the news of the cancer on Tuesday. He told the media he's decided to have the prostate removed. His own father died of prostate cancer while in his 80s.

"I wanted to be able to announce this to America in a way that I'm doing it today, where I know exactly what I'm doing, where I have the answers, where I have the medical answers, where my family is fully notified and I am able to do it on my terms," Kerry said.

What effect the prostate cancer might have on his viability as a presidential candidate is uncertain.The New Hampshire primary is 11 months away. Former Sen. Bob Dole ran for president 5 years after he had prostate surgery. Rudy Guiliani dropped out of the race for U.S. Senate after his diagnosis. For Kerry?

"I don't think it will have any impact at all. I'm going to be out there. In in two weeks I'm scheduled to be doing some things I think on the west coast. I intend to be there. And I intend to be riding in the Best Buddies ride, as I have last year, and in the Pan Mass Challenge [bicycle race fund raiser].

Kerry's athleticism is cited as a big advantage for his expected recovery. More advanced cancer might have recovered he undergo chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy, but in this case his doctor said he may be released from the hospital as soon as Saturday.

Senior Sen. Ted Kennedy released a statement saying, "John is a dear friend and Vicki and I are sorry that he and his family have to go through this ordeal. But we are relieved that this was diagnosed at a very early state and that John's doctors are confident that he will come through this with flying colors."