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🇦🇷 Argentina /Elections & Politics

Brazil's Lula starts skin cancer treatment amid re-election campaign

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva began preventive radiotherapy for early-stage skin cancer after a lesion was removed from his scalp.
  • The 80-year-old president will undergo 15 sessions, which doctors say will not restrict his daily activities as he prepares for an October re-election bid.
  • This health update comes as Lula seeks a fourth non-consecutive term, with recent polls showing him leading his main opponent.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has started preventive radiotherapy for an early-stage skin cancer lesion removed from his scalp, the presidency and his doctors announced Monday. The 80-year-old leader, who is preparing for a bid for a fourth non-consecutive presidential term in October, will undergo 15 superficial radiotherapy sessions on his scalp.

Doctors at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo removed a basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer, on April 24. They decided on complementary preventive treatment. "The president will continue his daily activities without restrictions," the medical team stated, adding that they will continue to monitor his clinical condition.

The president will continue his daily activities without restrictions

· DoctorsRegarding President Lula da Silva's ongoing treatment for skin cancer.

A presidential spokesperson described the lesion as "small" and diagnosed as early-stage cancer. The lesion, visible on the president's head in recent appearances, was defined by dermatologist Cristina Abdalla as common and sun-exposure related. Lula has recently worn hats in public to protect himself during recovery, a move that recalled his need to cover his head after emergency surgery for a brain hemorrhage in late 2024.

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· Presidential spokespersonDescribing the skin cancer lesion removed from President Lula da Silva.

The new health issue brings renewed focus on the Brazilian president's well-being. He is the oldest serving president in the country's history and has faced several medical challenges in recent years, including emergency surgeries in 2024 for a brain hemorrhage and treatment for throat cancer in 2011.

The treatment begins as Lula ramps up his campaign for the October elections. He has recently increased his social media activity, posting videos of himself exercising in an apparent effort to dispel concerns about his physical fitness for a new campaign. A Datafolha poll released Friday shows Lula widening his lead over his main rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and the leading figure of Brazil's right-wing.

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· Cristina AbdallaDescribing the basal cell carcinoma removed from President Lula da Silva.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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