Former Japan empress to undergo surgery

After cataract surgery on both eyes, former Empress Michiko will have a cancerous breast lump removed.

Former Empress Michiko, who was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer last month, will have surgery on Sunday at the University of Tokyo Hospital, the Imperial Household Agency said Tuesday.

The 84-year-old will be admitted to the hospital on Saturday for surgery. A lump was found in her left breast’s mammary gland during an echography exam in July and the cancer diagnosis was confirmed after a needle biopsy was conducted 2 August.

The former empress rested in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, and Kusatsu in Gunma Prefecture late last month with her husband, former Emperor Akihito, who abdicated at the end of April.

She had lost weight due to stress and a busy schedule due to the imperial succession, according to the agency. In June, she underwent cataract surgery on both of her eyes after being diagnosed with heart valve abnormalities, with the condition continuing to be monitored.

Former Emperor Akihito became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in about two centuries, bringing an end to the Heisei Era spanning his 30-year reign. His elder son Emperor Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May. (Kyodo)