Brazilian soccer legend Pele is receiving ‘palliative care’ after he stopped responding to chemotherapy for colon cancer, Brazilian media have reported.
The Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper said doctors had stopped giving Pele chemotherapy and placed him in a “palliative care” unit, where he is only being treated for symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath. It is awarded for “palliative care” to patients nearing the end of their lives.
The Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo declined to confirm reports of the 82-year-old Brazilian star’s deteriorating health.
Pele was transferred to end-of-life care after he stopped responding to chemotherapy, he reports @leaf pic.twitter.com/98TFIvvpRN
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 3, 2022
And a medical report released on Friday showed Brazilian soccer legend Pele was suffering from a respiratory infection, but his condition was still stable.
The Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo said the 82-year-old legend will remain in the hospital for the next few days to continue treatment, adding that Pelé’s general health is improving.
“The medical team has diagnosed a respiratory infection which is being treated with antibiotics. The response has been good and the patient’s condition … stable with general improvement in health,” the report said.
Pele was admitted to hospital in São Paulo on Tuesday to reevaluate his cancer treatment following the removal of a polyp from his colon in September 2021.
On Thursday, the former striker posted a photo on Instagram thanking his fans for the positive messages received.
Ranked by many as the greatest footballer of all time, Pelé has suffered from increasingly failing health in recent years.
And Pelé is the only player in the history of the ball to have won the World Cup three times (1958, 1962 and 1970), and scored more than 1000 goals before his retirement in 1977.
