Lucas Cancer Surgery Told; Recovery Seen

Chief Justice Malcolm M. Lucas underwent surgery last week for removal of a malignant growth from his colon and is expected to make a “full and complete recovery,” the state Supreme Court disclosed Friday.

The court announced that Lucas was released from Stanford University Hospital on Wednesday after a successful operation and was working now at home on court business. After a previously planned vacation, he plans to return to the court at the end of the month.

Eager to Return

“This was just one of life’s little character-building experiences and I’m glad it’s completely behind me,” Lucas said in a statement issued here. “I’m looking forward to getting back to the court.”

President Reagan underwent such an operation a little more than two years ago, when surgeons at Bethesda Naval Medical Center removed a cancerous two-inch tumor and about two feet of colon. It was emphasized after the surgery that there was no evidence the cancer had spread and the odds were better than 50-50 that the President would survive five years or more.

Lucas entered the hospital July 21 but the court, at the request of the chief justice and his family, announced only that he had undergone “successful abdominal surgery” and planned to return to the court in late August after a brief recuperation.

Other members of the court said they had been assured that Lucas’ ailment was “not life-threatening” but had received no other details of the operation. On Thursday, court officials said Lucas was “doing fine” and had left an undisclosed hospital.

Friday’s announcement said the 60-year-old chief justice had been attended by Dr. Harry Oberhelman, professor of surgery at the Stanford School of Medicine, and Dr. Edward Silverblatt, clinical associate professor of gastroenterology.

Surgeon’s Statement

Oberhelman, in a statement, said that the chief justice had undergone “resection of a segment of his large intestine and rectum for a polyp.”

“A portion of the polyp was malignant, but there was no evidence of spread of the malignancy to the lymph nodes, adjacent tissues, or liver; a CAT scan was normal,” he said. “No further specific therapy is felt necessary and Justice Lucas is anticipated to make a full and complete recovery.”

In a later interview, Oberhelman said a two-hour operation was performed July 22 to remove the polyp and a 10-inch section of Lucas’ lower colon.

“I think he has an excellent prognosis,” said Oberhelman. “His chances of hearing any more about this are minimal. . . . No further treatment is required.”

The surgeon said the polyp, which measured about one inch in diameter, was a “very early stage adenomatous polyp” located in the lower section of the colon known as the rectal sigmoid.

No Spread Seen

He said that the growth had made only a “superficial” invasion into the cells that line the colon wall and that there was no spread to the lymph nodes around the colon.

According to cancer experts, the absence of cancer cells in the lymph nodes is the single most important factor influencing long-term survival from colon cancer.

A CAT scan of the lungs and liver--organs where colon cancer sometimes spreads--showed no signs of cancer, Oberhelman said. A blood test called the carcinoembryonic antigen, or CEA, which can be an indicator of the presence of colon cancer cells, now is normal, he said.

The surgeon added that Lucas in the future will receive annual examinations of the colon. Lucas had no previous history of polyps or of cancer of any type, Oberhelman said.

Lucas, a former federal judge and member of the state high court since 1984, was elevated to the top post by Gov. George Deukmejian after the defeat of former Chief Justice Rose Elizabeth Bird in the Nov. 4 election.

Bird herself had undergone surgery three times for breast cancer, including a mastectomy in 1976.

Calls to Aides

Court officials say Lucas will be working at his home in Los Alamitos and then take a short vacation before returning to the court. The chief justice telephoned aides on Friday to check on court business and seemed in good spirits, officials said.

As is the usual practice of the court, no oral arguments are scheduled for the month of August. The court continues to review cases and can issue decisions during this period.

Justice Edward A. Panelli has been serving as acting chief justice during Lucas’ absence. After he took over the position in February, Lucas established a system where the other court members would serve as acting chief justice on a rotating basis in his absence.