UPDATE 2-Brazil's Lula starts radiation after early-stage skin cancer diagnosis

Brazilian President Luiz ‌Inacio Lula ​da Silva has started preventive radiation treatment after being diagnosed with early-stage ‌skin cancer, doctors treating the 80-year-old leftist leader and his office said on Monday.

Brazilian President Luiz ‌Inacio Lula ​da Silva has started preventive radiation treatment after being diagnosed with early-stage ‌skin cancer, doctors treating the 80-year-old leftist leader and his office said on Monday. Lula had a basal cell lesion removed on ‌April 24.

"It was decided to proceed with complementary ‌treatment with preventive, superficial radiotherapy on the scalp," doctors at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital said in a medical note, adding Lula will maintain his daily ⁠activities ​without restrictions. A spokesperson ⁠for Brazil's presidency told Reuters the "small" lesion was diagnosed as ⁠early-stage cancer and Lula would undergo 15 radiotherapy sessions to prevent ​further lesions.

Lula is expected to run for a fourth non-consecutive ⁠term in October and currently leads right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro in several opinion ⁠polls ​for a potential second-round runoff. He is Brazil's oldest sitting president and has had some health scares, including emergency ⁠surgeries in 2024 to treat and prevent bleeding in his head. ⁠Lula ⁠was treated for throat cancer in 2011.