Bush's spokesman returns to work

Mr Snow's mother died of colon cancer when he was 17 years old

White House spokesman Tony Snow has returned to work, five weeks after discovering his colon cancer had recurred and spread to his liver.

Mr Snow will continue to represent the US president while he undergoes four months of intensive chemotherapy.

He said the treatment, which begins on Friday, was necessary "just to make sure we've got the thing knocked out".

The 51-year-old press secretary joined the White House in April 2006 from Fox News, where he presented TV and radio.

Mr Snow mother's died of colon cancer when he was 17.

He was first diagnosed with the disease in 2005. His colon was removed and he underwent six months of chemotherapy

Helping to educate

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Mr Snow said he was positive after his operation, during which doctors removed some small tumours and found others.

"I've recovered from the surgery, more or less," he told CNN.

"I'll start doing chemo on Friday. We'll do it every other week for four months."

Mr Snow added that he would undergo monthly chemotherapy sessions afterwards as an additional safeguard against another recurrence.

"We'll do a maintenance chemo just to make sure we've got the thing knocked out and put in remission," he said.

Mr Snow said on Friday that he wanted to use his position as President George W Bush's spokesman to give other cancer patients hope and to educate the public.

"Cancer frightens so many people that they don't realise the treatment for the disease and the prognosis and the pace of innovation is so much different than we experienced when we were kids," he said.

"There are folks out there who hear the word 'cancer' and they freak out, and they don't need to do that anymore."