Doctor: American jailed in Cuba may have cancer

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By Kari Huus and Mary Murray, NBC NewsPeter Kahn / APAmerican Alan Gross in 2009, left, and in 2012, right. A U.S. doctor said that Gross' weight loss, and a review of CT and ultrasound scans suggest Gross should be rigorously evaluated for cancer. He has a mass behind his right shoulder blade that Cuban doctors have diagnosed as a hematoma.

Alan Gross, a 63-year-old U.S. citizen imprisoned in Cuba for nearly three years, may be suffering from untreated cancer, according to a U.S. doctor who has reviewed Gross’ medical records — a conclusion that is at odds with the government in Havana, which has maintained that the American is in normal health.

Follow @NBCNewsUS Gross, a contractor for the United States government, was arrested as a spy in late 2009, and his case is a sticking point in U.S.-Cuban relations. The latest questions about his health have pushed his case to the forefront again.

Five months ago, Gross developed a mass behind his right shoulder blade, which doctors in Cuba diagnosed as a hematoma that would be reabsorbed within a few months, according to Reuters.




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