Reagan Polyps Prove Benign : Tests Find No Signs of Cancer in Tissue Samples

Laboratory tests of tissue samples removed from President Reagan on Friday all showed no signs of cancer, the White House announced Saturday.

The announcement was made shortly after Reagan received the welcome news at the presidential retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains.

“Final laboratory evaluation on the three intestinal polyps and facial tissue removed from the President yesterday have been completed, and all are benign. The President was informed of the results by his physician at Camp David this morning,” a statement issued by the White House press office said.

Aides said Friday that the operations involved removal of three “very small” polyps from the President’s large intestine, as well as a sample of skin from “a tiny papule,” or pimple, on the right side of his face.

All were discovered and dealt with during a six-hour checkup at the Bethesda Naval Hospital to monitor Reagan’s progress after an operation on a malignant intestinal polyp last July. The surgery at that time required removal of a two-foot bowel segment. Two small skin cancers were also excised from the President’s nose last July and October.

Friday’s minor operations were incidental to a six-month checkup that is routine in the care of colon cancer patients. Another such examination is expected this summer.

After the exam, the President and Mrs. Reagan flew to Camp David by helicopter for the holiday weekend.

Rusty Brashear, a White House spokesman, said Reagan learned of the laboratory results in a telephone call from his personal physician, Dr. T. Burton Smith.

Afterward, the 74-year-old President delivered his customary weekly radio talk from Camp David.

Brashear declined to expand on the terse medical report in the written statement, except to say of the President: “He’s fine; we expected nothing less.”

He said no further details on the President’s health or on the various tests Reagan underwent would be released by the press office.

Last July, Nancy Reagan reportedly was disturbed when extensive medical information was released to the press after the President’s surgery. Since then, White House officials have refused to provide extensive details about the President’s health.