Cardinal Francis George's Cancer Returns: Religious Leader To Resume Chemotherapy

Cardinal George To Resume Chemotherapy

Cardinal Francis George's ongoing battle with cancer isn't over, and this week, the religious leader met with Loyola University Medical Center doctors to determine a course of action.

His treatment will include six sessions of chemotherapy beginning Sept. 5, with each session consisting of two weeks of treatment, and one week of recovery, NBC Chicago reports.

According to the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, George underwent a procedure to have cancerous cells removed from his kidney and liver on Aug. 15.

The cardinal has been fighting cancer diagnoses for years, and in 2006 his bladder was removed after doctors found cancerous cells, ABC Chicago reports. The hospital has not commented on whether his current condition is related to the bladder cancer.

Cardinal George, 75, told the Chicago Tribune at an event celebrating his 15th anniversary as head of the Archdiocese last week that the news of his cancer's return was disappointing.

“I felt I had licked something and I didn't, and so that isn't a good feeling,” he told the newspaper.

The cardinal said he would keep up his public schedule as much as possible, while tending to his weakened immune system, a side effect of chemotherapy treatment, according to WBEZ.

Dr. John Showel, medical oncologist at Rush University Medical Center who treats patients with similar cancer experiences, told WGN that "the major side effects that he'll experience are fatigue and perhaps nausea. And the loss of appetite, perhaps some weight loss."

Cardinal George serves as a spiritual leader for more than 2 million Chicago-area Roman Catholics.

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