Tenor Luciano Pavarotti had an operation in July 2006 in New York and five chemotherapy treatments in the past year.
Luciano Pavarotti was taken into hospital suffering from a fever on 8 August but was released a fortnight later after diagnostic tests but he has not made any public appearances since his stay in hospital.
Fellow opera star Carreras said paying tribute that Luciano Pavarotti was "one of the most important tenors of all time".
To mourn his passing, the Vienna State Opera raised a black flag, while Modena, where Luciano Pavarotti’s funeral will be held at Modena Cathedral on Saturday, said it would name its theatre after him.
