Pavarotti Diagnosed With Pancreatic Cancer
Posted July 7, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
One of the world’s most famous voices has been diagnosed with cancer.
Renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti has cancelled the rest of his 2006 concerts in order to undergo treatment for pancreatic cancer, a particularly lethal form of the disease.
The 70-year-old singer was getting ready to leave New York last week in order to resume a farewell world tour in Britain when physicians found the malignant tumour.
He underwent surgery in New York and is said to be “recovering well” in hospital.
“Fortunately, the mass was able to be completely removed at surgery,” manager Terri Robson said. “Mr. Pavarotti is recovering well and his physicians are encouraged by the physical and emotional resilience of their patient.”
Robson said the tenor hoped to resume his tour – which had scheduled stops in Finland, Austria, Norway, Switzerland and Prague – in early 2007.
Because pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed in its later stages, it has one of the worst prognoses. Most patients die within a year and less than four per cent of patients are still alive after five years.
In 2004, Apple Computer’s Steve Jobs had a pancreatic cancer tumour removed after being diagnosed with a less lethal form of the disease. It’s unclear which form Pavarotti had.
The opera singer made his debut in 1961, performing as Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Boheme at Reggio Emilia, Italy. The TV age helped him become one of the world’s most widely recognized stars of the medium.
He retired from opera two years ago citing an ongoing problem with his weight and a bad knee, but kept performing concerts.
