Brazil · Politics

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva began a course of preventive radiotherapy on his scalp on May 25, a month after surgeons removed a common form of skin cancer, with his medical team saying he can continue working without limits.

What does the preventive radiotherapy involve?

The Sirio-Libanes hospital said in a medical bulletin that Lula attended its Brasilia unit on May 25 and started superficial radiotherapy on the scalp as a complementary treatment. The aim is to reduce the risk that the previously removed lesion returns, a standard precaution after this type of surgery.

Brazilian media report a plan of 15 sessions spread over roughly three weeks. The hospital stressed that the 80-year-old president will keep his daily activities without restrictions while remaining under the care of his physicians, Roberto Kalil Filho and Ana Helena Germoglio.

How serious is the diagnosis?

The lesion removed on April 24 was a basal-cell carcinoma, which doctors describe as the most common and one of the least dangerous forms of skin cancer. The current treatment is preventive rather than a response to a spreading disease, and the framing from the medical team has been one of routine follow-up, not crisis.

Lula has a documented medical history that includes a 2011 larynx cancer treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and surgery in 2024 for bleeding on the brain after a fall at his official residence. He has lately posted videos of himself exercising, addressing questions about his stamina at his age.

Why does his health carry political weight?

The president’s fitness is a live issue because he is expected to seek a fourth, non-consecutive term in the October election, and once suggested his candidacy would depend on his physical condition before later saying he feels ready. His main rival is shaping up to be Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, placing Lula‘s health squarely inside a tight and consequential race for Latin America’s largest economy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What treatment is Lula receiving?

He began preventive superficial radiotherapy on the scalp on May 25. It is a complementary measure after surgery, intended to lower the chance the removed lesion recurs.

When was the skin cancer removed?

Surgeons removed the lesion on April 24. It was identified as a basal-cell carcinoma, the most common and least severe type of skin cancer.

How long will the treatment last?

Brazilian media report a course of 15 sessions over about three weeks. The hospital said Lula would maintain his normal schedule throughout.

Will it affect his daily work?

According to the medical bulletin, no. Doctors said the president will continue his activities without restrictions while under their care.

Does this affect the October election?

Lula is expected to run for a fourth term, so his health draws scrutiny. The treatment is described as preventive, and the medical team has reported no limits on his work.

Connected Coverage

The treatment lands amid the early shaping of Brazil’s presidential race covered in our reporting on the contest’s polling swings, and alongside the trade diplomacy traced in our coverage of the Brazil-US tariff talks.