Former President of Uruguay José “Pepe” Mujica was offered treatment in Brazil and other countries for cancer that was detected in his esophagus, but decided to undergo radiotherapy in his home country.
The information was revealed by Mujica's personal doctor, Raquel Pannone, at a press conference this Thursday (2). According to her, the treatment will begin next week.
An icon of the Latin American left, Mujica revealed this week that he had a tumor in his esophagus. According to his doctor, the former president felt discomfort in the region and underwent an endoscopy in mid-April.
The examination detected a “not very extensive” tumor in his lower esophagus, which a pathological study confirmed to be malignant.
Last Tuesday (30), Mujica also underwent an ultrasound and a tomography, which found no other injuries.
Due to the former president's age, who is about to turn 89, and the immune disease and kidney failure he has had for more than 15 years, surgery and chemotherapy have been ruled out for now.
Thus, he will undergo radiotherapy, a procedure that, according to Pannone, is one of the most effective against the type of cancer detected.
According to her, the immune problem has nothing to do with the surgery the former president underwent in 2021 after swallowing a fish bone.
Without providing names of hospitals or doctors, Pannone revealed that the former Uruguayan president received offers from prestigious health centers in countries around the world, such as Brazil, Argentina, the United States and at least one European country.
Pepe Mujica, his wife and the medical team decided, however, to undergo treatment at the Oncology and Radiotherapy Clinic (COR), in Montevideo, a clinic founded by the late former Uruguayan president Tabaré Vázquez and today managed by his son, Álvaro Vázquez, who made himself available.
“We have to think about the person. We have the same technical conditions to do it here and abroad, but separate it by more than 40 days from Lucía [Topolansky]wife of Mujica]from his farm, from his activism and from his companions, would undoubtedly play against his recovery”, said Pannone.
The doctor also clarified that the treatment has just begun and that it is necessary to assess how the former president's body will respond.
“The main objective, which we all want, is healing. The intermediate goal is for him to have a long survival and a good quality of life,” he explained.
As he already has an immunological disease, Mujica's immunosuppression during treatment must be even greater.
Therefore, the doctor made an appeal to the former president's colleagues and admirers: “When we say don't hug him so much, don't give him so much bodily affection, it's not because we are evil and want him all to ourselves. It’s to protect you.”
“He cannot become infected with the diseases that we are all going to have this winter”, he pointed out, asking: “We will need to take care of him among everyone”.
Source: CNN Brasil
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