July 20, 2009 16:51

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch diagnosed with cancer

Rapper releases video announcing his condition

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch has revealed that he is suffering from cancer.

The rapper, otherwise known as MCA, made the announcement that he has been diagnosed with cancer of the preaortic gland and lymph node by releasing a video message featuring himself and bandmate Adam 'Ad-Rock' Horowitz. Watch it by clicking below.

Yauch said that the condition was "treatable", and that he would undergo treatment soon. He said that the band's forthcoming new album, 'Hot Sauce Committee', which had been scheduled for release on September 15 in the US, would be delayed. The band have also postponed their live commitments.

"About two months ago I started feeling a lump in my throat, like you feel if you have swollen glands or if you have a cold," the rapper explained in the video. "I didn’t think it was anything. Then when we were in Europe recently doing promotion I started to think I should talk to my doctor. So I called my doctor when I got back, about two weeks ago.

"He sent a specialist, they did tests and I have a form of cancer in a gland that's over here (points to his left cheek). It's in a gland called the preaortic gland and it's also in the lymph node in that area.

"I'm going to have to have surgery, probably next week (beginning July 27), and then after that have some radiation done in that localised area."

Yauch added that he was optimistic he could get the problem sorted.

"The good news is that they did scans of my whole body and it's only localised in this one area," he said. "It's not in a place that affects my voice, so that's nice. That's convenient.

"It's a bit of a setback, it's a pain in the ass, but it's treatable, in most cases they're able to completely get rid of it, people don't have continuing problems with it… if they've caught it early. That's the good news.

He also sent a message to fans who might have made plans to see the band later in the year. "I apologise for anyone who's made plans or was psyched to come to these shows," he said.

Horowitz added that he didn't know Yauch was going to make the announcement until he was called to go and make the video with him.

"I'd also like to say for the record Adam didn't tell me why I was coming down here," he said. "I was just on the couch watching TV. This is a fake beard and look."