Mujica's physician describes former president's condition

Thursday, May 2nd 2024 - 23:04 UTC

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“We are going to continue fighting this battle,” Panone said

Former Uruguayan President José Pepe Mujica's physician Raquel Panone described the extent of her patient's cancer during a press conference in Montevideo. “Pepe has esophageal cancer. We did other studies that showed that he has no lesion in any other organ,” she said while admitting that the tumor was malignant, as doctors had already feared.

There are three types of treatment for this ailment: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The first two have been ruled out because of Mujica's immunological disease, in addition to the patient's high age (88). Hence, a radiotherapy approach was agreed upon, Panone explained.

Despite offers to treat him abroad, Mujica said he would remain in Uruguay because he trusted Uruguayan doctors. The treatment will be performed at the clinic founded by former President Tabaré Vázquez -a physician himself- and directed by his son, Álvaro. The 5 to 10-minute daily sessions from Monday to Friday will begin next week. Mujica's cure is within expectations and, if not, at least a long survival, Panone also noted. “Pepe decided to give this fight but this has just begun,” she said while admitting that Mujica “is going to be more tired” after each application because “he already has an immunological disease that immunosuppresses him, the treatment will depress him even more. We have to take maximum care of him.” Mujica also has “renal insufficiency,” Panone recalled.

When he is asked not to be hugged, “it is not because we are bad, but to protect him,” the medical expert also pointed out. Despite his diagnosis, Mujica continues to live a normal life and intends to get involved in this year's presidential elections. However, he might have to cancel some engagements out of tiredness, Panone underlined.

“Pepe has the possibility to continue with his activity, to continue accompanying us, to continue advising us in life, and that this, which is an illness that happened and arose at this moment, is not necessarily going to be the one that is going to determine either in the short term or in a term that we do not know, that this situation will change. The positive thing is that we are going to continue fighting this battle that we have now,” Panone stressed.