TRINKLED

Cory Aquino has colon cancer

Former president Corazon Aquino has been diagnosed with colon cancer, her daughter, Kris, revealed Monday. Kris said her mother underwent several tests after being hospitalized for high blood pressure last December. Related Video • Ex-President Aquino has colon cancer "Our mom wanted to know what was wrong with her, and with her family by her side, she submitted herself to a check-up and several tests. The results showed that our mother is suffering from cancer of the colon," Kris told ABS-CBN Chief Correspondent Korina Sanchez. She said the Aquinos opted to tell the public because they still believe in the power of prayers in the hope that millions of Filipinos will pray for the fomer president. Kris' brother, Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, also urged the public to respect their family's privacy. Related Stories • Transcript of Aquino family statement on Cory Aquino's illness: • Fast facts on colon cancer • Palace, opposition to pray for Cory's healing Kris said the former president started losing her appetite last December despite being a healthy eater. "She likes to eat fruits and vegetables. We just want to emphasize that throughout our lives, she's never been sick. The time we brought her to the hospital last Christmas was the first time," she said. "She lost 10 pounds in a span of about two weeks," she added. Kris also revealed that her maternal grandmother was diagnosed with the same condition and had to undergo treatment in Boston. According to Dr. Armand Crisostomo, a colorectal surgeon and president of the Philippine College of Surgeons, colon and rectal cancer are the 3rd and 4th leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the country. Aquino, widow of the late Sen. Benigno Aquino, Jr., became president of the Philippines after the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. She was selected Time Magazine's Woman of the Year in 1986 and is a recipient of the 1998 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding. She is recognized as one of the World's Elite Women Who Make a Difference by the International Women's Forum Hall of Fame of 2005. Aquino has drawn praise for her support for democracy and for overseeing microfinance projects for beginning entrepreneurs, social welfare and scholarship assistance through the Benigno S. Aquino Foundation.