Patrick Frost, boss of insurer Swiss Life, has been diagnosed with cancer. A deputy will step in for him during the coming months of his treatment.

The CEO of Swiss Life, Patrick Frost, will undergo treatment for cancer in the coming months. His deputy, finance chief Thomas Buess, will lead the Swiss insurer's during Frost's absence.

The 48-year-old Frost's illness was reported in several Swiss media (in German) on Thursday, after the CEO wrote a personal letter to staff.

«It's not easy for me to write this to you,» according to the letter. «I have a localized malignant tumor that has been diagnosed as Hodgkin's disease,» Frost wrote to staff. 

Frost has good prospects for a full recovery, he said. He plans to return to Swiss Life in August.

«I'm optimistic that I'll be back at Swiss Life after the summer holidays, following my therapy and recovery.»