What serious illnesses did Tsar Mihai suffer from?

During the last period of his life, King Mihai retired from public life due to the health problems he was suffering from.

In March 2016, the Royal House announced King Michael's diagnoses and that he had undergone surgery at a Lausanne clinic.

“The Royal Council took note of the state of health of His Majesty, who recently underwent surgery. The medical team made the following diagnoses: metastatic squamous cell carcinoma" and "chronic leukemia". His Majesty is undergoing a difficult and demanding treatment that keeps him out of public view and will henceforth spend a period of convalescence,” said Andrew Popper, Head of His Majesty’s Court from Switzerland.

King Mihai passed away on December 5, 2017 at the age of 96 at his residence in Aubon, Switzerland.

What is epidermoid carcinoma?

The second most common type of skin cancer, epidermoid skin cancer, also called squamous cell carcinoma. It is characterized by abnormal and accelerated growth of squamous cells. Epidermoid carcinoma can also appear inside the body - in the mouth, throat, lungs. It is manifested by scaly red spots, which can turn into bleeding crusts. The lesions usually appear on areas of the body that are exposed to the sun.

Squamous cell carcinoma is four times more common in men than in women. The success of treatment is higher if the disease is detected in the early stages.

Chronic leukemia can develop without obvious symptoms

Leukemia is a type of blood cancer. In chronic myeloid leukemia, the bone marrow uncontrollably produces white blood cells called leukocytes. The exact causes are unknown, but one of the factors is radiation. Men have a higher risk of getting sick, the likelihood of being diagnosed is higher as they get older. The disease can proceed without specific manifestations and be detected during routine blood tests. However, changes in general well-being, enlargement of the spleen, increased fatigue and bleeding can sometimes be observed.