King Hussein of Jordan has undergone chemotherapy to treat a cancerous lymphoma and has reacted positively to the first stage of treatment in the United States, a senior Jordanian official said yesterday.
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where the king was admitted on July 14th, have diagnosed cancer of the lymph glands "in its initial stages, which is 100 per cent curable", according to the official.
The king would rest for a few days before undergoing the second phase of treatment, the official said. The lymphoma "is of a mild type which reacts very well to treatment".
The king is expected to deliver a message to the Jordanian people today about his diagnosis and the results of treatment.
His brother, Crown Prince Hassan, said the king could leave hospital before returning for the second phase of treatment. The king underwent surgery to remove cancer from his ureter and left kidney at the Mayo Clinic in 1992 and has had regular medical check-ups at the clinic since.