text: Health On 29 October 2011, it was announced that Lula, a former smoker, had a malignant tumor in his larynx. His tumor was detected after his voice became unusually hoarse.  He had chemotherapy to counteract the tumor. He was later treated with radiation therapy, and his laryngeal cancer went into remission. Lula announced his recovery in March 2012.
  On 21 January 2021, Lula tested positive for COVID-19 while participating in the filming of an Oliver Stone documentary in Cuba, five days after arriving on the island. He did not need to be admitted to a hospital, and was able to recover. On 13 March 2021, Lula received his first dose of the CoronaVac vaccine.
  In October 2023 Lula had hip joint replacement surgery to implant a hip prosthesis, replacing the top of his right femur with an implant to treat his arthrosis.
  He also had a blepharoplasty, a cosmetic plastic surgery to remove excess skin from both of his eyelids.
  2018 presidential campaign
  In 2017, Lula announced he would stand as the Workers' Party candidate for president again in the 2018 election. In September, he led a caravan of supporters which travelled through the states of Brazil, starting with Minas Gerais, whose governor was Lula's political ally Fernando Pimentel. While traveling through the South of Brazil, the caravan became the target of protests. In Paraná, a campaign bus was shot, and in Rio Grande do Sul, rocks were thrown at pro-Lula militants.