Chavez: Lesion Was Cancerous, but No Sign of Metastases
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced that he is “optimistic” about his cancer diagnosis after he flew to Cuba last week for surgery on an abdominal lesion in the same site where he was diagnosed with the disease last year.
Caracas, March 5th 2012 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez announced that he is “optimistic” about his cancer diagnosis after he flew to Cuba last week for surgery on an abdominal lesion in the same site where he was diagnosed with the disease last year.
The president, who was given the all-clear last October following a course of chemotherapy treatment, made the unexpected announcement that he would return to Cuba for the operation two weeks ago, after medics located another growth in his abdomen. He underwent an operation to remove the lesion last Monday and is recovering satisfactorily, according to government reports.
In a special appearance on state television on Sunday, Chavez confirmed that the removed lesion was a recurrence of cancer but that tests carried out by Cuban physicians showed no signs that the disease had spread.
“The pathological study that was carried out confirmed that there were no lesions suggestive of cancer locally, in the surrounding organs or in any others, nor are there metastases,” said the president, “that’s why we are so optimistic,” he added.
Chavez also took the opportunity to respond to rumours in some of Venezuela’s opposition press that he had suffered an infection or organ paralysis as a result of the surgery.
“All vital signs are favourable, heart rate, normal blood pressure, no fever, a normal temperature and there are no other symptoms such as infection or bleeding, like they were saying. It’s not true,” he clarified. “They’re the same people who always speculate, but they’re not experts,” he said.
Since his operation, the Venezuelan president has been giving regular updates to his supporters through the social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, including messages to his cabinet ministers and the members of the Great Patriotic Pole movement. He will now undergo an hour of radiotherapy on a daily basis in order to eliminate any malignant cells in the region, confirmed Venezuelan Health Minister, Eugene Sader.