MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan leader toasts with mineral water the end of chemotherapy treatment

Dr. Boccia congratulates President Lugo

Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo and the team of Brazilian and Paraguayan doctors who are treating him for lymphatic cancer symbolically champagne-toasted with mineral water the last session of chemotherapy, which apparently has been successful.

However there was a round of real sparkling champagne served by the President to the doctors at the Sao Paulo Syrian-Lebanese hospital where he has been undergoing treatment for the last six months.

The Sao Paulo hospital complex is considered to have the best oncology experts and equipment in South America.

This was President Lugo’s sixth and last chemotherapy session which included the extraction of the catheter used for the treatment.

“The tumours originally identified in the President last August because of the lymphatic cancer that was detected have disappeared completely”, said Dr. Alfredo Boccia head of the Paraguayan professional team looking after Lugo

Boccia said that lab tests before the Tuesday chemotherapy confirmed the positive evolution of the president’s health and the effectiveness of the treatment.

“This is the best possible scenario we could expect, which had also been anticipated by the Brazilian experts who are treating the President”, added Dr. Boccia.

Following a day’s rest the Paraguayan president is scheduled to return to Asuncion in a commercial flight.

When the disease was first detected five months ago, Brazilian president Lula da Silva immediately offered the Sao Paulo hospital complex and made an aircraft available for the Paraguayan leader to travel.

President Lugo was forced to considerably limit his work load during these months and also avoid contacts for a few days following the chemotherapy because of insufficient defence.

Although some chemotherapy sessions were done in Asuncion President Lugo travelled regularly to Sao Paulo for check ups.