Syria’s first lady diagnosed with breast cancer

The wife of Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, has begun treatment for early-stage breast cancer, the presidency said on Wednesday.

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Asma al-Assad is beginning the first stage of treatment for a malignant tumour in the breast that was discovered at an early stage.

The announcement came with a photo of the first lady in loose clothing and trainers, sitting on a chair in a hospital room with an intravenous drip inserted in her left hand.

She was smiling at her husband, President Bashar al-Assad, who sat to her right. Asma, whose father is a cardiologist and whose mother is a diplomat, has two sons and a daughter with Assad.

The Facebook post, crafted in Arabic, has an auto translation that states: “Strong trust and faith.. the first lady #asma _ Lion begins the initial stage of a malignant tumor therapy discovered early..
“From the heart.. the presidency of the republic and its working group wishing Mrs. Asma speedy recovery..
“Quoting the official page of the presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic.”

An investment banker before she quit her job following her marriage to President al-Assad in 2000, Asma was born and raised in London before moving back to Syria after meeting the president.

Her parents hail from the central province of Homs in war-ravaged Syria.

The two have been married for 18 years and have three children, Hafez, Zein and Karim.