Venezuelan President Chavez reveals recently removed tumor was cancerous

Caracas, Mar 5(ANI): Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has revealed that a new tumor that was recently removed from his pelvic region was cancerous like the baseball-sized growth extracted from his body about seven months ago.

Chavez, 57, said the surgery and follow-up tests showed the tumor was "a recurrence of the initially diagnosed cancer," The New York Daily News reports.

He said "the tumor was totally extracted" and added "the absence of lesions suggestive of cancer neither locally, neither in nearby organs, neither far away ... neither metastasis, none of this thanks to God, to the diagnosis and rapid intervention."

He was speaking in a footage recorded in Havana, while being accompanied by various government ministers and older brother Adan Chavez.

He described his recuperation as "open, progressive and rapid" in the footage aired in Venezuela.

Chavez said "still it hasn't been six days because the operation ended on the night of last Sunday."

"Since almost the second day, I began to walk. For this, I say thanks to God, to everybody," he added.

He flew to Cuba for seeking treatment on February 24, and his absence had stoked speculation about his ill- health. (ANI)