Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has revealed he is being treated for cancer after a small cancerous tumour was found at the back of his tongue. The 56 year old rocker has just completed a seven-week course of chemotherapy and radiology.
He was diagnosed just before Christmas when visited his doctor for a routine check-up that led to further tests and biopsies, according to a statement on the band’s official website.
“A seven week course of chemotherapy and radiology treatment was completed yesterday. As the tumour was caught in the early stages, the prognosis thankfully is extremely good. Bruce’s medical team fully expect him to make a complete recovery with the all clear envisaged by late May. It will then take a further few months for Bruce to get back to full fitness,” says the statement.
An update on his progress will be given by the end of May. Until then, the band asks for “patience, understanding and respect for Bruce and his family’s privacy”. It is also mentioned that Bruce Dickinson “is doing very well considering the circumstances and the whole team are very positive”.
The metal-band was due to go on a tour of Europe from 27 May after it finished a three-year world tour in July 2014. They played 98 shows in 36 countries across 5 continents to an estimated audience of over 2 million people. There were also rumored plans for a new album this year.
Formed in east London, in 1975, Iron Maiden went on to become one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history with more than 85 million records sold worldwide. The band released thirty-seven albums, including fifteen studio albums, and a series of US and UK platinum and gold albums. The latest studio release, The Final Frontier, peaked at No.1 in 28 different countries. Dickinson joined Iron Maiden in 1981 and debuted on their 1982 album, The Number of the Beast, becoming one of the most acclaimed heavy metal vocalists of all time.