Taipei Veterans General Hospital (VGH) confirmed yesterday that tumors removed from Vice President Vincent Siew’s (蕭萬長) left lung last week were cancerous, adding that Siew was in stable condition and would not require chemotherapy or targeted therapy.
“Two tumors removed from his lung were cancerous, but there was no sign of metastasis. The tumors were unrelated,” the hospital said in a press release.
“Vice President Siew is gradually recovering. He was removed from the intensive care unit on the second day after surgery and continues to recover,” it said.
Hsu Wen-hu (許文虎), director of the thoracic surgery division at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, said the vice president’s cancer was at stage 3A, adding that the tumors had been cleanly removed and that Siew was recovering.
CancerHelp UK, a Web site offering patient information, said that stage 3A lung cancer suggests that “the whole of the affected lung may have collapsed or may be inflamed due to the build-up of mucus,” and that “between 10 and 30 out of every 100 [people] diagnosed will live for at least five years.”
An abnormal growth had been found in Siew’s lung after undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging scan on April 16. He underwent surgery on May 20.
At a separate setting yesterday, the Office of the Vice President said Siew was recuperating well and that he was back on a normal diet. He was also able to get out of bed.
The office said the Taipei General Veterans Hospital would determine when the vice president could return to work.
Fan Hsiang-lin (樊祥麟), director of Siew’ Office, said the vice president hoped to resume work as soon as possible, but that his doctor hoped he would get more rest.
As to whether Siew would receive treatment at the same hospital, Fan said it was up to the vice president and his medical team to decide.
The Presidential Office said Siew would be hospitalized for between one and two weeks.
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