Less than two weeks after being named to head the new Cabinet under President-elect Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), officials announced yesterday that Minister of National Defense Tang Fei (唐飛) is to undergo surgery in the near future to remove a tumor in his chest.
The announcement could not come at a worse time for both Tang and the future president, who are at a critical point in constructing their new Cabinet. Some analysts said that if Tang's operation has complications, it could affect the government transition in May.
Doctors said yesterday they believed the glandular tumor, located in his thymus, is benign.
"Tang will be able to fully recover within 10 to 14 days of the operation. His physical strength will not be affected as a result," said Major General Chang Sheng-yuan (張聖原), director of Taipei's Tri Service General Hospital.
Doctors said a recent checkup indicated he was suffering from an auto-immune disorder called myasthenia gravis (MG), symptoms of which began appearing at the end of last month. The nerve condition is characterized by weakness and quick fatigue of facial muscles.
It was only later that a battery of subsequent tests found a tumor in Tang's chest.
"I think after the removal of the tumor, there will be an 85 percent chance that Tang's MG syndrome will disappear or least become controllable. But the precondition is that the tumor is benign," Chang said.
Tang's MG syndrome is limited only to the muscles around his eyes -- especially the left eye -- which appears in the form of ptosis, or drooping eyelids, Chang said.
"A thymoma and MG are often closely connected. But this does not mean that one condition is directly responsible for the appearance of the other. Around 85 percent of those affected by both diseases at the same time can recover completely or partially from their auto-immune disorder once they have their thymus gland tumor removed," he said.
Tang had reportedly made his physical condition known to President-elect Chen before the latter invited him to be premier in the new government.
According to Tang's doctors, he should be able to attend Chen's presidential inauguration ceremony on May 20 if he has the operation by the end of this month.
"Tang wants to have the operation by the end of April. But we have yet to receive instructions about the exact timing," Chang said.
One defense ministry official who declined to be identified said it was Tang's idea to make public his planned surgical operation -- before it was discovered and exposed by the media.
Lieutenant Colonel Hsu Yao-tung (
"But for the moment, the symptoms are restricted only to the area around his eyes. This disease often strikes elderly people and, in many occasions, occurs at the same time as thymoma," Hsu said.
Chang admitted, however, that although they believe Tang's tumor to be benign, they cannot be completely sure until after the operation.
"For cases of thymoma, doctors can't make a definite diagnosis until a biopsy is performed," he said.
"If the tumor is not benign, we will have to ask Tang to undergo follow-up radiation therapy," he added.
One military analyst said the timing could not have been worse.
"It is not a good sign. Besides, Tang and president-elect Chen seem to be showing different opinions on various issues recently," said Holmes Liao (廖宏詳), a researcher at the Taiwan Research Institute.
"This is not a good sign for the would-be new government, either.
"What Chen wants from Tang is a peaceful transition of power through his influence over the military. How long the transition will take is the real question ... it may be longer than expected," he said.
"What Chen should be worried about is not Tang's health problems, but the widening disagreement between the two on political issues," he said.
"Another major worry for Chen is the hidden disobedience of an anti-independence military leadership. How effective Tang's control over the military will be remains in doubt," he added.
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