Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch gives update on cancer treatment

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch has given fans an update on his cancer treatment, revealing that he has had surgery to battle his illness and will start radiation treatment soon.

Last month Yauch revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer of the preaortic gland and lymph node.

The band have postponed live commitments so the rapper, also known as MCA, can undergo treatment.

Yauch sent an email message out to fans who have signed up at the band's website, Illcommunication.beastieboys.com, in which he explained that he had refused painkillers during his treatment so far.

"I'm about a week-and-a-half out of surgery now and rapidly recovering from it," he wrote. "I haven't taken any of the pain meds, which supposedly speeds along the healing process, or should I say, taking them slows it down.

"I'm pretty well detoxed from the anaesthesia that they pumped me up with to keep me under for all that time. That took several days to get out of my system. My neck and jaw are still pretty stiff from the surgery, but it gets better everyday. Had the stitches out this past Monday (August 3) so things are moving along."

Explaining what was on the cards for his treatment programme next he added: "No sooner am I on the mend from this first torture than are they lining up the next one.

"The next line of treatment will be radiation. That involves blasting you with some kind of beam for a few minutes a day, five days a week, for about seven weeks. That will start in a few weeks."

Yauch acknowledged the tributes he had received recently from Jay-Z, Coldplay and Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O.

Jay-Z covered Beastie Boys' 'No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn' at the recent All Points West festival. Karen O dedicated her band's song 'Maps' to Yauch.

Coldplay covered the Beasties' song '(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)' (watch fan footage of the performance by clicking on the video below).

"Saw the Jay-Z cover of 'No Sleep…', and the Coldplay one of '…Fight For Your Right…' from APW," he wrote. "Good shit. And I heard Karen O wore a 'Get well MCA' armband, and that Q-Tip gave a shout out too... very kind of them.

"Just wanted to thank them and everyone else who sent positive thoughts my way. I do think that all of the well wishes have contributed to the fact that my treatment and recovery are going well."