Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen today said her breast tumours have been diagnosed as benign.
"It's BENIGN BENIGN BENIGN BENIGN BENIGN...," she tweeted.
Taslima, 51, was diagnosed with breast tumours at a New York hospital where she went with cough and cold. Her biopsy report was expected today.
Several people posted congratulatory messages on her Twitter feed after Taslima posted the status of her biopsy report.
The writer had tweeted this morning, "After 8 hours, at 9 am I'll get my breast tumour biopsy reports. I have no idea what is awaiting me. I should try to sleep now. Love you all."
She arrived in New York on April 26 and got the biopsy done on May 6. She has been tweeting about her stay in the city and putting up photos of places she has been visiting on the micro-blogging site.
"Bad news! Was coughing, did lung CT scan. Lungs OK, but breasts not OK. Done mammogram & ultra-sonogram today. Tomorrow biopsy. Probably cancer," she had tweeted and later said she had to go for breast tumour biopsy since the mammogram and ultra sonogram "didn't show the tumour was benign."
Doctors had found the tumours "quite big" and advised her biopsy to check on possible malignancy.
Taslima is also scheduled to give a lecture on the issue of 'women in secularism' on May 17 at a conference in Alexandria. She had tweeted that if the biopsy result was "bad" she would have to cancel the talk.
A report in bdnews24.Com had said that Taslima's mother had died of cancer and a brother of hers is undergoing treatment for cancer in New York.
She had tweeted: "Dear India, if I'm diagnosed w/ cancer tomorrow & if I die, pl take care of my cat Minu. She is the best cat in the world."
Taslima is a doctor and had received her MBBS degree from Mymensingh Medical College in 1986.
After her novel 'Lajja' (Shame) hit the stands, she incurred the ire of the fundamentalists and had to leave Bangladesh in 1998.
She has lived in India and several western countries since then.
