Reagan Doctors Say They Found Cancer, Doubt Spread : Believed Removed in Surgery

BETHESDA, Md. —  Cancer was found in the two-inch tumor removed from President Reagan’s colon last Saturday, his doctor said today. The doctor said there was no evidence that the malignancy had spread.

Navy Capt. Dale Oller, who headed a six-person surgical team, quoted the President as saying of the malignant polyp, “I’m glad that’s all out.”

Dr. Steven Rosenberg of the National Cancer Institute, another of Reagan’s physicians, said simply, “The President has cancer.”

He added there was “every expectation” that the cancer was restricted to the polyp and had not spread. And he said, “Chances are good that no spread will take place.”

Rosenberg said cancer was found in the major polyp that was removed Saturday. He said two adjacent polyps, which he described as quite small, showed no malignancy at all.

He said, “This cancer invaded into the muscle walls of the bowel,” which also were removed.

“The majority of patients in exactly the President’s situation will certainly survive five years and beyond; it’s certainly greater than 50%,” he said.

Asked specifically if Reagan now has cancer, he said there was “a greater than 50% chance that the President now has no cancer, no cancer cells in his body and is completely cured.”

“All these findings are optimistic findings with respect to the future,” Rosenberg said.

He added, “The chances are excellent that this tumor will not recur again.”

“The President will have to undergo regular examinations of the lung, the liver, other body organs,” he said. If another tumor should show up, it likely would be in the President’s liver, he said, adding that all tests indicate Reagan’s liver is “perfectly normal.”

He added: “My feeling is that no further therapy is indicated at this time.”

The cancer specialist said Saturday’s surgery provided the “maximum chance of curing the President.”

He said Reagan should be able to return to his normal routine after he recovers from the immediate effects of the surgery.

“There should be no change in his activity pattern whatsoever,” the doctor said.

He said there was a greater than 50% chance that the cancer would not shorten Reagan’s life span.

Rosenberg said Reagan’s future treatment would be no different if the tumor had been shown to be benign.

“Now again, I emphasize, there’s a real chance there’s no cancer left,” he said.

The doctor said the President’s wife, Nancy, was gratified to hear the cancer apparently had not spread. “Basically, her reaction was very similar to that of the President,” he said.

He said his advice to the President concerning future activities would be the same as for any other 74-year-old: “Resume the full and complete activity.”

Oller said Reagan was “ebullient,” had been walking and had met for 15 minutes with White House Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan.

He said Reagan could adjust to the loss of two feet of his colon--removed along with the polyp on Saturday--”very easily.”

As for possible recurrence, Rosenberg said Reagan had “a slightly increased chance” of a new cancer developing, “perhaps twice that of an individual who never had a cancer.”