- SAO PAULO: Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is beginning chemotherapy to treat a cancerous tumor in his larynx.
Silva’s doctors say Monday he is also expected to undergo radiation therapy, likely in January.
The tumor was detected over the weekend. A statement from Sao Paulo’s Sirio Libanes Hospital says it was caught in its early stages.
Roberto Kalil, one of Silva’s doctors, says the chances of a full recovery are excellent and that the 66-year-old Silva is otherwise in good health.
Silva was first elected in 2002. He left office on Jan. 1 of this year with an approval rating of 87 percent.
Brazil underwent rapid economic growth during Silva’s time in office. The nation’s political power on the international stage also rose.