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Pavarotti Undergoes Cancer Surgery

The famous opera singer, and entertainment phenomenon, Luciano Pavarotti is recovering from a pancreatic cancer surgery he underwent last week in New York. According to the tenor`s manager, the malignant growth was removed completely in the surgery and Pavarotti is recovering well. For that reason all Pavarotti`s concerts for the year 2006 have been canceled, and he is most likely to proceed with his farewell world concert tour in the beginning of 2007. Pavarotti has already postponed five June concerts because of complications from a surgery in his back. He canceled eight concerts in April, because he had been advised not to travel while undergoing back treatment.

Because pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed at a very advanced stage, it has one of the worst prognoses of all types of cancer. Not even 4 percent of the patients survive five years after diagnosis, and most of them die within a year. Even in the minority of cases where the tumor can be operated on, only about 23 percent stay cancer free. The world is left hoping that Pavarotti will survive the odds and continue working hard in the entertainment industry.

Pavarotti first performed as Rodolfo in Puccini`s "La Boheme" at Reggio Emilia, Italy, in 1961, and thanks to the television age became the world`s most popular opera singer. He became an entertainment star when he nailed the nine high Cs in "Ah! Mes amis" as Tonio in Donizetti`s "La Fille du Regiment" at the Met in 1972. His Met finale, on March 13, 2004, was his 379th performance with the company.