CFK 'never had cancer,' discharged from hospital

Presidential spokesman Scoccimarro announced this morning that President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's "medical tests have ruled out the presence of cancerous cells in her thyroid glands." Within moments of being given the all clear, the Head of State was discharged from hospital and taken to Olivos where she will continue her recovery.

“The Presidential Medical Unit has the satisfaction of communicating that the Austral Hospital team informed the histopathologic tests ruled out the presence of cancerous cells in the thyroid glands,” Scoccimarro announced this morning.

In short, Fernández de Kirchner never had cancer despite having been diagnosed with the disease last month and having her thyroid gland removed on January 4.

The government announced just after Christmas that the recently re-elected leader had thyroid cancer.

The operation to remove the gland went well, however when the gland was analysed it turned out to have never contained cancerous cells, said spokesman Alfredo Scoccimaro.

"The original diagnosis has been modified," he told a news conference. "The presence of cancer cells was discarded."

The President left the hospital around 11.05 am this morning, and was taken directly to the Presidential residence in Olivos by helicopter to begin her period of rest to recover from the operation. Fernández de Kirchner will take a leave of absence of 20 days, during which time Vice-President Amado Boudou was given the role of acting president.

Hundreds of different Kirchnerite activist groups and followers were waiting outside Austral Hospital to catch a glimpse of the President upon her leaving the hospital where she has been admitted since her surgery on Wednesday. Many activists were still carrying out a vigil for the Head of State.

Yesterday presidential spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro announced that she would be released "within 24 hours," also stating that the President was in good health.