Panama president diagnosed with 'low-risk' blood disorder, wife says

Panama's President Laurentino Cortizo and first lady Yazmin Colon arrive before a dinner, during the ninth Summit of the Americas, in Malibu, near Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 9, 2022. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo suffers from a low-risk type of a rare blood disorder known as myelodysplastic syndrome, his wife Yazmin Colon said on Sunday after tests carried out in the United States.

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.