Cardinal George Receives Another Cancer Diagnosis

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 18, 2012 3:00PM

The Archdiocese of Chicago on Friday released a statement on its website announcing that Cardinal Francis George is once again fighting cancer.

The leader of Chicago's Roman Catholic Church underwent a procedure Wednesday at Loyola University Medical Center. He met with doctors Friday "who reviewed with him test results which showed there were cancerous cells in the kidney and in a nodule, which was removed from the liver."

George underwent a radical surgery six years ago to have a cancerous bladder and prostate removed. The Sun-Times spoke with doctors who theorized, based on what information the Archdiocese released, on the type of cancer George has and treatment.

University of Chicago oncologist Dr. Walter Stadler told the Sun-Times the discovery of cancer cells on George's kidney and liver "almost certainly" means his cancer is metastatic from his first bout with the disease, likely a more dangerous type called urothelial or transitional cell cancer. American Urological Association president and Rush University professor Dr. Dennis Pessis told the Sun-Times if what doctors discovered originated from George's first bout with cancer, chemotherapy will almost certainly be the treatment and it will affect how the Cardinal is able to handle his job duties.

“If this is indeed truly a metastatic lesion from the original transitional cell cancer, the prognosis is going to be quite guarded,” Pessis said.