Richards says she expects a full recovery
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AUSTIN -- Former Gov. Ann Richards said Tuesday that she feels "terrific" and expects to fully recover from cancer of the esophagus.
"There is no doubt in my mind I will recover from this," she said. "If I had known people would be so nice to me, I might have done this sooner."
Richards, the Texas governor from 1991 to 1995 known for her silver hair and sharp wit, discussed her health at a news conference announcing that Austin school officials were naming a new all-girls academy after her. The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders is to open in fall 2007.
"I hope to be at the front door greeting the girls as they come in," she said.
Richards, 72, is halfway through chemotherapy treatments at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. After three more sessions, doctors will determine whether she needs further treatment.
Although she appeared strong and upbeat, she experiences bouts of fatigue and occasional pain but continues to exercise by lifting weights, taking walks around Austin's Town Lake, running on a treadmill and working out in the gym in her condominium.
Esophageal cancer, among the more deadly cancers, can be difficult to detect early. Symptoms can include pain or difficulty swallowing, weight loss or a lump in the throat. According to the American Cancer Society, about 14,550 cases are expected to be diagnosed this year, and about 13,770 Americans will die of the disease this year.
Richards said she first felt discomfort in her throat and chest in August or September but didn't think much of it and took medication to control acid reflux.
Risk factors for esophageal cancer include long-term heavy drinking and smoking. Richards has acknowledged getting treatment in 1980 for alcoholism and was once a heavy smoker.
But she said she has not discussed with her doctors what may have caused her cancer.
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