FORMER Queensland premier Anna Bligh has been diagnosed with cancer.

In a statement Ms Bligh said the diagnosis of non-hodgkin's lymphoma came after a tumour was removed from a lymph node in her neck last week.

She said she would begin treatment in the next couple of weeks.

"I am very grateful for the excellent care I have received from the staff of St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, and the loving support of my family and friends," Ms Bligh said.

"I am maintaining my positive attitude as I prepare for treatment."

Ms Bligh turns 53 next month.

One of Ms Bligh's closest colleagues in Cabinet, former treasurer Andrew Fraser, said his family were shocked by the news but were confident the former premier could overcome cancer.

"Our family was devastated by the news but if there is one person who can beat any odds, overcome any setback and maintain positivity in the face of adversity it's Anna," Mr Fraser said.

Former deputy premier Paul Lucas said he had sent his prayers to Ms Bligh and her family.

"I'm devastated by the news," Mr Lucas said.

"Anna showed during the 2011 floods and cyclone that no one more than her could tackle the adversity then faced by her fellow Queenslanders.

" I'm confident that she'll show the same personal courage now in her own battle that inspired, guided and comforted her fellow Queenslanders during that terrible 2011summer of floods and cyclones.

"My thoughts and prayers are with her, Greg and the boys. "

Opposition Treasury spokesman Curtis Pitt, another former Cabinet colleague of Ms Bligh's, said he was shocked by the news.

"My father suffered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. I know the battle that he fought with this disease," Mr Pitt said.

"He fought it and he won. I know that Anna Bligh is a fighter and I know that she will do the same.

"I wish her and Greg and all of her family the best in terms of fighting this disease as well as having a speedy recovery."

Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan described Ms Bligh as "one of the strongest people I know".

"We all saw just a couple of years ago during the Queensland floods the type of person Anna is - she's made of pretty tough stuff," Mr Swan said.

"We'll all be with her every step of the way until she's back to full health."

A spokesman for Premier Campbell Newman said he wished Ms Bligh and her family all the best.

Ms Bligh was elected in 1995 and quickly rose through the ranks.

When former premier Peter Beattie retired, Ms Bligh assumed the premiership in 2007 and went on to win an historic election in 2009 as the first female political leader in Australian history to win in their own right.

However, the following term was dominated by the long-serving Labor administration's financial troubles caused by the global financial crisis, forcing Ms Bligh and her Cabinet to controversially sell a suite of State-owned assets.

Yet she was lauded for her leadership during the 2011 floods.

Labor was all but wiped out in the election the following year against the Campbell Newman-led Liberal Nationals.

Ms Bligh was just one of seven Labor MPs to win their seat and quit immediately after the election, saying she had heard the decisions of Queenslanders loud and clear.

Her and husband Greg Withers moved to Sydney in August last year.