Chavez's cancer revelation rattles Venezuela (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez's disclosure that he is being treated for cancer is raising questions about whether he will be able to run for re-election next year and how his illness may impact the future of his socialist movement in Latin America.

While Chavez remained in Cuba on Friday recovering from surgery that removed a cancerous tumor, he sought to assure his supporters that he remains in charge and expects to fully recover.

"We're optimistic and we know we'll get out of this," Chavez said.

Questions remain about how sick Chavez is. He announced Thursday night that a surgery had successfully removed the tumor in his pelvic region, though he didn't give details about what kind of cancer he had or say how soon he might return home.

In the streets, hundreds of the ailing leader's supporters poured into a downtown plaza, shouting "Onward, commander!" They wrote get-well messages on large paper signs, including some that read "Chavez forever."

Carmen Gonzalez, a 57-year-old laboratory technician who joined the crowd, said she was praying for Chavez.

"It has pained me a lot, and not just me. I feel that it's the whole country," she said. "Those who are in charge, like the vice president, have to lead the country forward."

Vice President Elias Jaua assured Venezuelans on Friday that there was no need for Chavez to cede his duties as president.

"The president is going to be (in Cuba) for the time period his doctors prescribe," Jaua said, noting that the National Assembly has authorized Chavez to remain in Cuba for as long as needed.

Venezuelan state television aired prerecorded video of a meeting in Cuba on Wednesday in which Chavez was shown discussing road projects and other issues with his brother Adan, his foreign minister and a military chief.

The effort to portray business as usual comes after three weeks of uncertainty in which Chavez was largely out of sight and speculation was rife that he might be seriously ill. Before his speech on Thursday, Venezuelans had heard only that Chavez had undergone surgery to remove a pelvic abscess.

The 56-year-old Chavez was noticeably thinner and pale as he disclosed he had two operations in Cuba, including one that removed a tumor in which there were "cancerous cells."

The socialist leader had previously vowed to win re-election next year and govern for another decade or more. Now he has yet to say whether that plan still stands.

His illness has created uncertainty in a political system that has been dominated by Chavez during his more than 12 years in power. A weakened Chavez also poses potential challenges for his long-running efforts to counter U.S. influence and rally the radical left in Latin America and beyond.

Some analysts predict that if Chavez's illness worsens, his socialist-inspired Bolivarian Revolution movement might face troubles due to the lack of a clear successor.

"Chavismo without Chavez doesn't exist," said Joel D. Hirst, an international affairs fellow at the Washington-based Council of Foreign Relations. "The revolution is really about one man."

"If for some reason Chavez was not able to continue as president or to run in the 2012 election, it would produce a tectonic shift in Latin American politics."

If Chavez were to die or resign, the vice president would serve the remainder of Chavez's term.

Venezuelan historian Agustin Blanco Munoz, who wrote a book about Chavez, predicted that "he is not going to resign."

He said strongman leaders such as Chavez are unlikely to step down because "they feel they are the chosen ones, that they're the supreme ones."

Diego Moya-Ocampos, a political analyst with IHS Global Insight in London, called Chavez's announcement a "game-changer" because there is no obvious political heir.

Chavez revealed limited details about his illness, saying that the tumor was in the pelvic region and that "there were no complications" in the surgery. He said he was continuing to receive treatment in Cuba, though it was unclear what sort.

"Statistically, it would most likely be a colorectal cancer," said Dr. Michael Pishvaian, a cancer specialist at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center who was not involved in the Venezuelan leader's treatment.

"It's not unheard of for a gastrointestinal cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, to have broken through the colon and be surrounded by an abscess, a collection of infected cells," he said.

In such cases, the cancer is discovered when cells from the abscess are examined later. A second surgery might be done to remove any additional cancer and nearby lymph nodes to see whether it had spread.

"The potential for recovery all really depends on the type of cancer and the stage of the cancer," Pishvaian said.

Gen. Henry Rangel Silva, a military chief and a member of Chavez's inner circle, assured the country that Venezuela's stability "is guaranteed" while the president recovers.

"He will be in our country soon," Rangel said, without giving a return date.

Venezuela is preparing to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its declaration of independence from Spain on Tuesday, but it's unclear whether Chavez will be able to attend the festivities.

The government postponed a summit of Latin American and Caribbean leaders earlier in the week, citing Chavez's health.

Some analysts have predicted growing divisions and possibly infighting within Chavez's movement if he is absent for an extended period. He has already been in Cuba since June 8.

"The longer the president is in Cuba, the clearer... the fractures are going to become within the Chavista movement, and in particular between the Marxist factions and the factions closer to military sectors," Moya-Ocampos said.

But Steve Ellner, a political science professor at Venezuela's University of the East, said the differences that exist within Chavez's movement are like those in other political parties and that Chavez has effectively "managed to place himself above the internal differences that exist."

"I would discard the possibility, at least in the short term, of infighting breaking out among the Chavistas," Ellner said.

Jaua and other close Chavez allies insisted they are united, and the vice president accused opponents of falsely trying to create the impression of a "vacuum of power" in the country. He said the situation is totally stable and "there is a government in full operation."

The opposition questioned the government's handling of the situation.

"The government doesn't respect us when it says it's functioning normally," said Ramon Guillermo Aveledo, a spokesman for the country's opposition coalition. "Because it isn't functioning normally, and they know it."

___

Associated Press writers Fabiola Sanchez and Patricia Rondon Espin in Caracas, Andrea Rodriguez in Havana, Lisa J. Adams in Mexico City and AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

Yahoo! News

Uncertainty over Chavez's recovery roils Venezuela (Reuters)

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela was mired in uncertainty on Saturday over how long President Hugo Chavez would take to recover from a cancer operation, despite assurances by allies he will be fit to run for re-election next year.

The government said Chavez remains fully in charge. He planned to meet with several of his ministers in Cuba for talks on Saturday.

The saga over the 56-year-old's health has convulsed South America's biggest oil exporter, underlining the lack of any obvious successor while stoking fears of a dangerous power vacuum and bitter political infighting.

Since Chavez somberly told his people and the world late on Thursday that he had undergone surgery in Cuba to remove a cancerous tumor, many have questioned whether he will be able to run the nation with the same irrepressible vigor as before.

A phone call to Cuban state TV on Friday did little to quell the speculation and his condition remained hotly debated from Venezuela's jungle hinterlands to its Caribbean beaches.

"Nobody expected this illness ... we are very optimistic we are going to come out of this," Chavez said in the call.

He seemed keen to demonstrate he was still running Venezuela during his recuperation in Havana, discussing energy and infrastructure projects.

Chavez did not say when he would be back home and one source close to the Venezuelan medical team following Chavez's recovery in Cuba said the diagnosis had revealed a cancer that required aggressive treatment that could take several months.

A wing of the Caracas Military Hospital was being prepared to receive him when he returns, the source said.

No official updates on Chavez's condition have been released except for his own accounts on Thursday and Friday. Local media have said he could have prostate cancer.

"FULLY IN CHARGE"

Chavez's army chief and vice president have gone out of their way to assure anxious Venezuelans that their hitherto apparently invincible president remains fully in charge of the government in the already politically volatile OPEC member.

But their inability to specify a date for his return and the lack of details about the seriousness or type of cancer he is suffering are keeping observers guessing about his future after 12 years as the country's charismatic leader.

"Chavez will be out (of Venezuela) for the time that is necessary for him to recover," Vice President Elias Jaua told the Telesur TV network. "The president is at the head of the country and will continue to be at the head of the country."

There have been feverish rumors about Chavez' long-term health prospects since he vanished from public view in Cuba after his initial operation for a pelvic abscess on June 10, followed by the more serious cancer tumor extraction.

Although he talked on Thursday of emerging from an "abyss," questions remain about whether the man who has dominated Venezuelan politics since 1999 and projected his leftist views across the world will be fit to fight the 2012 election.

Jaua attempted to dispel these doubts.

"We have absolute faith and confidence in God ... that Hugo Chavez will be the candidate of the Bolivarian Revolution, of the people and patriots of Venezuela, and that he will carry on being president beyond 2012," the vice president said.

Jaua rejected opposition arguments that the president's absence through illness required a delegation of his powers, saying the National Assembly dominated by Chavez loyalists had already approved his extended stay outside the country.

Chavez supporters already were planning a march and other weekend celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of Venezuela's independence on Tuesday. These were expected to turn into shows of support for the ailing president.

A regional economic summit scheduled to coincide with the July 5 anniversary has already been postponed.

Despite Chavez's contentious image as a standard bearer of leftist anti-U.S. policies in Latin America and farther afield, wishes for a speedy recovery have flooded in.

"Knowing your vocation for service, your generosity, and your entire life dedicated to constructing prosperity and happiness in this world, we have no doubt that the God of Fraternity, Justice and Peace will bring you this fresh victory," Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, a political ally of Chavez, said in an effusive message.

(Editing by Bill Trott)

Yahoo! News

Chavez's cancer revelation rattles Venezuela (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez's revelation that he is battling cancer raises questions about the future of his drive to bring socialism to Venezuela and create a Latin America free of Washington's influence.

The biggest question, though, is just how sick is he?

Suddenly, the issue isn't so much about how long Chavez should govern after 12 often tumultuous years in power, but how long he can.

In a surprise announcement Thursday night, Chavez disclosed that he had a cancerous tumor removed while on a trip to Cuba last month, though he didn't give details about what kind of cancer or say how soon he might return home.

During his tenure, Chavez has become a maverick leftist voice and an oil-rich benefactor for governments from Cuba to Nicaragua to Bolivia. His campaign to cut Latin America's dependence on the U.S. has led him to build alliances with foes of Washington across the globe, from Iran to Libya's Moammar Ghadafi.

Now the uncertainty over his health has raised questions about how long that will continue and whether a successor would maintain Chavez's policy of "checkbook diplomacy" to prop up the region's left.

Chavez aides insisted Friday that the president was still fully in charge and working from Cuba while recovering, though it was unclear how long his recuperation might take.

In the streets, hundreds of the ailing leader's supporters poured into a downtown plaza, shouting "Onward, commander!"

"With the grace of God, he's going to get through all of this, and we're going to wait for him to return with all the strength in the world," said Luis Rodriguez, a Chavez supporter who joined the crowd.

Meanwhile, state television aired pre-recorded video of a meeting in Cuba on Wednesday in which Chavez was shown discussing road projects with three of his closest aides. "Despite the difficulties, Venezuela will be victorious," Chavez said.

The effort to portray business as usual comes after three weeks of uncertainty in which Chavez was largely out of sight and speculation was rife that he might be seriously ill. Before his speech on Thursday, Venezuelans had heard only that Chavez had undergone surgery to remove a pelvic abscess.

The 56-year-old Chavez was noticeably thinner and pale as he disclosed he had two operations in Cuba, including one that removed a tumor in which there were "cancerous cells."

The socialist leader had previously vowed to win re-election next year and govern for another decade or more. Now he has yet to say whether that plan still stands.

In a country where the political system is so clearly identified with Chavez, it will be difficult for the president's "socialist revolution" to continue without him, analysts say.

"Chavismo without Chavez doesn't exist," said Joel D. Hirst, an international affairs fellow at the Washington-based Council of Foreign Relations. "The revolution is really about one man.

"If for some reason Chavez was not able to continue as president or to run in the 2012 election, it would produce a tectonic shift in Latin American politics."

Diego Moya-Ocampos, a political analyst with IHS Global Insight in London, agreed, calling Chavez's announcement "a real game-changer" because there is no obvious successor.

Chavez revealed few details about his illness, saying only that the tumor was in the pelvic region and that he was continuing to receive treatment in Cuba.

"Statistically, it would most likely be a colorectal cancer," said Dr. Michael Pishvaian, a cancer specialist at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center who was not involved in the Venezuelan leader's treatment.

"It's not unheard of for a gastrointestinal cancer, particularly colorectal cancer, to have broken through the colon and be surrounded by an abscess, a collection of infected cells," he said.

In such cases, the cancer is discovered when cells from the abscess are examined later. A second surgery might be done to remove any additional cancer and nearby lymph nodes to see whether it had spread.

"Treatment could range from simple observation, if this was a very early-stage cancer, to chemotherapy to try to prevent recurrence of the cancer if it was very advanced, and potentially even radiation therapy," Pishvaian said. "The potential for recovery all really depends on the type of cancer and the stage of the cancer."

Some opposition politicians have called for Chavez to temporarily cede his duties to Vice President Elias Jaua. Chavez's allies, however, insisted he remained firmly in control of government affairs, even as he has been recovering.

Jaua assured the country Friday there was no need for Chavez to cede his duties as president. "We're very optimistic... about the president's complete recovery," he said.

Under Venezuela's constitution, the vice president would take the president's place during "temporary" absences of up to 90 days. Jaua would serve the remainder of Chavez's six-year term if he were to die or resign.

Some observers suggested that Chavez's absence might have a negative impact on the bloc of left-leaning nations, known as the Bolivarian Alliance, that the Venezuelan leader has led while crusading against U.S. influence in the region.

"The longer the president is in Cuba, the clearer... the fractures are going to become within the Chavista movement, and in particular between the Marxist factions and the factions closer to military sectors," Moya-Ocampos said.

___

Associated Press writers Fabiola Sanchez and Patricia Rondon Espin in Caracas, Lisa J. Adams in Mexico City and AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

Yahoo! News

Venezuela postpones summit due to Chavez's health (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela's government postponed next week's summit of Latin American leaders Wednesday, citing President Hugo Chavez's health as he recovers from surgery in Cuba.

The decision to put off the July 5-6 meeting until later this year was announced shortly after new videos aired on state television showing Chavez chatting with Fidel Castro in Cuba, appearing lucid and talkative. Chavez's televised appearance broke a long post-surgery silence that has prompted speculation about his health.

"The president is in the middle of a recuperation process and extremely strict medical treatment," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

As a result, it said, Venezuela has consulted with other governments and "made the decision to postpone" the gathering of Latin American and Caribbean leaders on Margarita Island.

Chavez had been expected to host the summit on the 200th anniversary of Venezuela's independence from Spain. He promoted it as an event to lay the groundwork for a new regional bloc, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, that would exclude the United States and Canada.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said it will work with other countries to schedule a new date for the summit in Venezuela later in the year. It remained unclear how soon Chavez might be able to return home.

Footage of Tuesday's encounter in Cuba showed Chavez and Castro in a garden chatting amiably about old times and discussing a Cuban newspaper article about school uniforms. It then cut to them seated indoors having an animated conversation.

"Today's newspaper, today's front page," Chavez said, reading the headlines in the Venezuelan state newspaper El Correo del Orinoco.

They talked about socialism and laughed as Chavez recalled a visit by Castro to Venezuela years ago when they ventured down a jungle path through vines.

Chavez has been largely out of sight since the government announced June 10 that he had undergone pelvic surgery. He spoke once in a telephone call to state television two days after the operation, and appeared in photographs alongside both Fidel and Raul Castro that were published June 18.

A series of photos and short video clips were shown on Cuban and Venezuelan television Tuesday night, but the footage shown Wednesday was longer and included audio of their conversation.

Vice President Elias Jaua told Venezuelan state television that the latest images show that the 56-year-old Chavez is clearly getting better.

"The president is in the process of recuperating, and he has a right to recuperate," Jaua said. "He has the right to take the time necessary to recuperate."

He said Chavez was on top of his duties and worked on military issues and other matters Wednesday. He did not provide other details about Chavez's health, nor say when he was expected to return home.

Venezuelan and Cuban state television both aired the footage, which lasted about 20 minutes. It began with Chavez arriving and greeting Castro with a salute and the slogan "Fatherland or death, we will be victorious!"

The two stood outdoors with palm trees in the background, surrounded by attendants. Castro wore a blue track suit jacket and a red cap of Cuba's national baseball team, and Chavez had on a warm-up jacket in the colors of the Venezuelan flag.

They both read aloud from the front pages of official newspapers Granma and Juventud Rebelde, and discussed current events and moments in Latin American history such as the 1973 coup in Chile.

Chavez recalled a conversation with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega about that country's history.

He also reminisced about his days as an army paratrooper, saying: "The first time I jumped out of a plane was also the first time I flew in one."

After a cut, the two were seen walking and then indoors chatting with Chavez's daughters and a granddaughter, who also read from Granma.

Chavez has said the surgery removed a pelvic abscess, yet a lack of details about his condition has fed speculation in Venezuela that the president might be seriously ill.

Some of Chavez's political opponents were not convinced Chavez looked healthy in the latest videos, and said he appeared thinner than usual.

Jaua has led government events in Chavez's absence and the leftist president's elder brother, Adan, rallied supporters at a Sunday prayer meeting for Chavez's health.

Uruguayan President Jose Mujica, a Chavez ally, said before the announcement of the summit cancellation that he expected the Venezuelan leader to be home in time for the country's independence anniversary July 5.

Speaking on a television program in Uruguay on Tuesday night, Mujica joked that "Fidel Castro kidnapped Chavez to ensure his recovery."

"Chavez is very temperamental," Mujica said. "They operated on him and he needs about 20-something days of recovery. Fidel practically kidnapped him, didn't let him go, because he didn't trust that in Venezuela (Chavez) would pay attention to the treatments."

Mujica didn't say whether he had spoken with Venezuelan or Cuban officials about Chavez's condition.

___

Associated Press writers Peter Orsi in Havana, Fabiola Sanchez in Caracas and Raul O. Garces in Montevideo, Uruguay, contributed to this report.

Yahoo! News

Doubts over Chavez's health spur talk of successor (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela – Speculation that Hugo Chavez could be suffering from a serious illness is putting attention on a predicament for the president's allies: It's unclear who could step forward if he had to step down.

Few Venezuelans are talking publicly about the possibility of Chavez leaving office, partly because top government officials and close relatives have repeatedly said the president is recuperating in Cuba following surgery there two weeks ago.

Still, Chavez's silence and seclusion since the operation have spurred growing talk about his health, stirring fears among some supporters that their leader could be seriously ill.

The speculation has prompted some to ponder what would happen if failing health were to force Chavez to relinquish power. Until recently, even contemplating that possibility would have been considered absurd.

Under Venezuela's constitution, Vice President Elias Jaua would take the president's place during "temporary" absences of up to 90 days. And Jaua would serve the rest of Chavez's six-year term if the socialism-preaching president were to die or resign.

With a presidential election looming next year, such a scenario might put Jaua and other ruling party leaders in a tough position.

None of Chavez's close confidants share his charisma and knack for connecting with Venezuela's poor majority. That constituency has ultimately decided elections in this politically divided South American country.

Steve Ellner, a political science professor at Venezuela's University of the East, believes the future of Chavez's political movement would largely depend on whether ill health prevented Chavez from designating a successor.

"There is no second-in-command in the Chavez movement," Ellner said. "If Chavez is unable to endorse anyone, there will inevitably be dissension."

Ellner said the situation would be much different if Chavez threw his support behind a would-be successor.

"There is a great sense of loyalty within the Chavez movement," he said. "If Chavez himself is unable to run for physical reasons, but endorses a given candidate, the movement will not fall apart."

While there are no obvious candidates, some observers believe the president might tap Jaua or Rafael Ramirez, Venezuela's energy minister.

Diosdado Cabello, a former army officer who joined a 1992 coup attempt led by Chavez, was once perceived as Chavez's closest confidant. But Cabello's standing seems to have faded since he lost a 2008 re-election bid as the governor of Miranda state to a prominent opposition leader.

Venezuelan officials have limited their comments on Chavez's health to saying he's recuperating but have provided few details.

Jaua told an auditorium packed with government supporters Saturday that Chavez "is recuperating to continue the battle."

He condemned Chavez's opponents for speculating about the president's health, accusing them of using the president's surgery to score political points before the next presidential election.

"They know they cannot beat our commander, Hugo Chavez, in an election," he said, adding: "Chavez is going to be around for a long time."

Meanwhile, Chavez's Twitter stream has been active while not providing any information about his health. One message on Friday saluted Venezuela's military on a holiday marking a decisive independence battle. Three messages appeared within 30 minutes Saturday afternoon, including one mentioning visits by Chavez's daughter Rosines and grandchildren.

"Ah, what happiness it is to receive this shower of love!" the Twitter message read. "God bless them!"

Nobody has heard Chavez publicly speak since he told Venezuelan state television by telephone on June 12 that he was quickly recovering from surgery two days earlier for a pelvic abscess. He said medical tests showed no sign of any "malignant" illness.

It remains unclear when he will return to Venezuela.

Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro urged Venezuelans on Friday to wish for Chavez's complete recovery and express their "most authentic love so that his health is re-established."

"The battle that President Chavez is waging for his health must be everyone's battle: the battle for life, for the immediate future of our fatherland," Maduro added.

Miguel Tinker Salas, a Latin American studies professor at Pomona College in Claremont, California, said he thinks some people "are jumping the gun" by expressing doubts on Chavez's health and raising questions about a potential successor.

"I imagine that Chavez is enjoying this because people seem so concerned about his health," Tinker Salas said. "I can imagine him joking about all this speculation in front of a crowd of supporters" sometime in the near future.

___

Associated Press writer Christopher Toothaker contributed to this report.

(This version CORRECTS that Jaua spoke Saturday, not Sunday.)

Yahoo! News

Chavez's odd silence raises questions in Venezuela (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is one of the world's most talkative leaders and his prolonged silence and seclusion in Cuba following surgery there two weeks ago is fueling speculation about his health.

Government officials have offered repeated assurances that Chavez is recovering well in Havana, but many Venezuelans are wondering if they are getting the true story.

Venezuelans are accustomed to near daily speeches and television appearances by Chavez that can last several hours, even when he's traveling abroad.

Yet nobody has heard him speak since he talked by telephone with Venezuelan state television on June 12, saying he was quickly recovering from surgery two days earlier for a pelvic abscess. Chavez, who turns 57 next month, said medical tests showed no sign of any "malignant" illness.

The only glimpse of Chavez came when the Cuban government released photos of the Venezuelan leader at the hospital with Fidel Castro and Cuban President Raul Castro on June 17. In one, Chavez has his hand on 80-year-old Raul Castro's shoulder.

Venezuelan officials have limited their comments on Chavez's health to saying that he's recuperating and have provided few details. It is not even clear exactly when he will return to Venezuela.

Before his pelvic surgery, a knee injury forced him to postpone a trip to Brazil, Ecuador and Cuba.

The paucity of information has fed a stream of speculation about the socialist president's condition as well as outlandish gossip on both sides of Venezuela's deep political divide.

Some people suspect Chavez has been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness such as prostate or colon cancer while others claim doctors botched liposuction surgery and he suffered an infection.

Authorities have sought to quash such talk.

"In response to all the rumors, I can testify that the president is recovering in a satisfactory manner," Adan Chavez, one of the leader's brothers who is a state governor, told state television Wednesday. "The president is a strong man."

Adan Chavez added that "it's not clear" when his younger brother would return home, but said the president is expected to leave Cuba within 10 to 12 days.

Those comments did little to calm the consternation of Chavez supporters or appease government critics who accuse officials of trying to dupe Venezuelans.

"I fear his condition could be worse then than they want to tell us, but I trust in God the president isn't in danger," said Magalis Gonzalez, a street vendor who was among about 100 Chavez supporters who attended a prayer meeting in downtown Caracas on Thursday to wish the president a speedy recovery.

The president's opponents have criticized government officials for providing few details on Chavez's health and raised concerns he may not be fit to continue his duties as president. The latter idea was rejected by Vice President Elias Jaua, who said Chavez is attending to his day-to-day government duties while recuperating.

In an editorial published Thursday, the opposition-siding newspaper El Nacional complained that "incompetent Cabinet ministers are turning this into a complete mystery or a state secret that creates uncertainty and anxiety within the population."

"Nobody understands why the state of the president's health is being hidden," it said.

Officials say Chavez underwent surgery June 10 for a pelvic abscess, which is an accumulation of pus that can have various causes, including infection or surgical complications. Neither Chavez nor doctors treating him have disclosed what caused the abscess.

Dr. Demetrios Braddock, an associate professor of pathology at Yale University's School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, said surgery for a pelvic abscess is not usually difficult, although complications can arise if doctors discover a digestive disease such as diverticulitis.

Diverticulitis, which is most commonly found in the large intestine, involves the formation of pouches on the outside of the colon. Braddock said the disease can be potentially life-threatening if a perforation of the colonic wall occurs, allowing feces to pass into the pelvic cavity and causing infections.

"Any number of things could be happening," Braddock said in a telephone interview. "It's impossible to know for sure without being familiar with this particular case."

Yahoo! News