Panama says President Cortizo still in remission from rare blood disorder

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo is still in remission from the rare blood disorder known as myelodysplastic syndrome, the government said in a statement on Tuesday.

Cortizo was diagnosed with the disorder in 2022 and declared in remission later that year, and doctors ordered continued treatment.

Myelodysplastic syndrome is considered a type of cancer affecting the body's ability to make healthy blood cells in bone marrow, the American Cancer Society states.

Cortizo returned on Tuesday from Houston, Texas, where he receives treatment.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Isabel Woodford)