Megadeth is canceling most of its upcoming tour dates as vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine announced he was diagnosed with throat cancer.
Mustaine, 57, made the announcement on the rock band's official website. The statement was also posted on Mustaine's Twitter page and Megadeth's Facebook page.
"I've been diagnosed with throat cancer. It's clearly something to be respected and faced head on - but I've faced obstacles before," Mustaine said Monday. "I'm working closely with my doctors, and we've mapped out a treatment plan which they feel has a 90% success rate. Treatment has already begun."
Mustaine, a member of Metallica from 1981 to 1983, said the band's inaugural 2019 Megacruise will still happen, but most shows this year have to be canceled.
The Megacruise is five days and departs Oct. 13 from Los Angeles with stops in San Diego, California, and Ensenada, Mexico.
It is not clear how they will be involved, but Mustaine said Megadeth will be back on the road as soon as possible.
"I'm so thankful for my whole team – family, doctors, band members, trainers, and more," Mustaine said. "I'll keep everyone posted."
The singer and guitarist said he and the rest of the band -- guitarist Kiko Loureiro, bassist David Ellefson and drummer Dirk Verbeuren -- are in the studio working on new music.
About the Author
