While the unexpected illness led him to cancel all his remaining engagements for 2006, Pavarotti insists that he wants to resume the worldwide farewell tour he was undertaking — intermittently, due to back problems and other health difficulties — during 2005 and early 2006 prior to his planned retirement. Nevertheless, he told Il Messaggero, "I have no plans at the moment. The illness is there and I must fight it, step by step."