Brazilian president finishes preventive radiation therapy for skin cancer

BRASILIA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday that he had finished preventive radiation therapy for skin cancer.

"Today, I went to Sirio-Libanes Hospital and completed my 15th radiation therapy session. I had skin cancer, and the radiation therapy is to make sure any possibility disappears completely," Lula said at the Planalto Palace. "I am happy ... about my definitive cure for this skin cancer."

The treatment began on May 25 at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Brasilia, which described it as a complementary procedure.

On April 24, Lula underwent a procedure to remove a skin lesion from his head. The lesion was identified as basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer.

Specialists say this type of lesion is linked to chronic sun exposure and usually does not have major implications for a patient's health. Enditem