No surgery for former Brazilian president

SAO PAULO, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Doctors treating former Brazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva said surgery is no longer being considered to remove a cancerous tumor affecting his larynx.

Dr. Arthur Kutz told Agencia Brasil that two chemotherapy treatments have reduced the tumor 75 percent, far above their expectations.

"(The decline) is within the standards, and a little beyond what we expected," said Kutz. "It was an extraordinary dimension."

Another of Lula's physicians, Dr. Paul Hoff, said the former president was relieved when told of the results.

Lula will receive a third chemotherapy treatment followed by radiation in January.

They said he should be able to resume normal activities by March 2012.