Mrs Kirchner, who recently began her second term after easily winning a landslide re-election in October, was found to have cancer "on the right lobe of the thyroid gland" during a routine medical examination on December 22, spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro said.
Doctors confirmed that the cancer hadn't spread to other parts of her body or affected her lymph nodes, Mr Scoccimarro said.
"The illness has been contained," he added.
The 58 year-old is due to have an operation at Buenos' Aires Hospital Austral to remove[d] the papillary thyroid carcinoma in her neck on Jan 4.
Papillary carcinoma is the most common type of thyroid cancer and normally affects people under the age of 40, especially women. » | Amy Willis, Los Angeles, and agencies | Wednesday, December 28, 2011
