Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti has had surgery for pancreatic cancer in New York, his manager has revealed.The 70-year-old Italian tenor is “recovering well”, she said - but all remaining 2006 dates of his farewell tour have been cancelled.

Pavarotti was preparing to leave the US last week when doctors discovered a malignant pancreatic mass, Terri Robson said in a statement.

“Fortunately the mass was able to be completely removed,” she said.

The tenor’s website said he was “recovering well and his physicians are encouraged by the physical and emotional resilience of their patient”. The twice-married father of four will remain in hospital in New York while he recuperates, his manager said.

He had been scheduled to perform in Finland, Norway, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal in September.

It is hoped the tenor will be able to resume his tour in early 2007.

He began an extensive farewell tour last year after announcing his retirement - but it has frequently been interrupted by illness and injuries.

In March 2005, he had neck surgery to repair two vertebrae, while a bout of laryngitis forced him to cancel an appearance at a Three Tenors concert in Mexico the following June.

Long career

He recently had back surgery and contracted an infection while in hospital, forcing him to cancel dates in Canada, the US and the UK.

Since making his debut in Italy in 1961, Pavarotti has become the world’s most widely recognised opera singer.

Between 1990 and 2003, he performed 34 concerts with fellow tenors Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras as the Three Tenors, including appearances at four World Cup finals.