Luciano was preparing to leave New York and head to Britain to resume his farewell tour when, during a medical visit to assess his recuperation after back surgery, the doctors discovered a cancerous mass in his pancreas.

The tenor underwent surgery and Terri Robson, his publicist, said that he is well and recovering in a New York hospital whose name she refused to disclose. She further added that the tumor has been completely removed and that the doctors attending him are very optimistic about his condition.

Unfortunately, statistics show that pancreatic cancer can only be diagnosed at a very late stage and that, less than 4 per cent of the operated patients are still alive in five years, while most of them die within a year. Anyway, less than 23 per cent of the total of patients that undergo surgery are cancer-free.

People are sincerely hoping that this will not be the case of one of the most beloved tenors in the world. A thing that still sparkles some hope is the fact that the publicist didn't say with what type of pancreatic cancer Pavarotti was diagnosed.

She did announce, though, that all the 2006 dates for the farewell tour have been canceled. The concerts will be resumed sometime next year, but they remain unscheduled yet. The only performances whose date is certain are those in Norway, Portugal, Finland, Austria and Switzerland, in November.