The Cure’s Roger O’Donnell says he recently completed treatment after being diagnosed with “a very rare and aggressive form of lymphoma.”
The band’s longtime keyboardist shared the news of his diagnosis on Blood Cancer Awareness Month to encourage others to get tested. “Cancer CAN be beaten but if you are diagnosed early enough you stand a way better chance, so all I have to say is go GET TESTED, if you have the faintest thought you may have symptoms go and get checked out,” O’Donnell wrote on social media. “If you know someone who is ill or suffering talk to them, every single word helps, believe me I know.”
In O’Donnell’s case, he said he initially ignored his symptoms for a few months before surgery revealed a “devastating” biopsy result.
“I’ve now completed 11 months of treatment under some of the finest specialists in the world and with second opinions and advice from the teams that had developed the drugs I was being given,” O’Donnell explained. “I had the benefit of the latest sci fi immunotherapy and some drugs that were first used 100 years ago. The last phase of treatment was radiotherapy which also was one of the first treatments developed against cancer.”
Thankfully, O’Donnell says he is now “fine and the prognosis is amazing,” adding that, “the mad axe murderer knocked on the door and we didn’t answer.”
Due to the diagnosis, O’Donnell was forced to sit out of The Cure’s Latin American tour in 2023.
September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month so it’s a good opportunity to have a dialogue about these diseases. In September last year I was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. I had ignored the symptoms for a few months but finally went… pic.twitter.com/8Xftcd5nPL
— Roger O’Donnell (@RogerODonnellX) September 1, 2024
and after surgery the result of the biopsy was devastating. I’ve now completed 11 months of treatment under some of the finest specialists in the world and with second opinions and advice from the teams that had developed the drugs I was being given.
— Roger O’Donnell (@RogerODonnellX) September 1, 2024
I had the benefit of the latest sci fi immunotherapy and some drugs that were first used 100 years ago. The last phase of treatment was radiotherapy which also was one of the first treatments developed against cancer. Im fine and the prognosis is amazing.
— Roger O’Donnell (@RogerODonnellX) September 1, 2024
the mad axe murderer knocked on the door and we didnt answer. Cancer CAN be beaten but if you are diagnosed early enough you stand a way better chance, so all I have to say is go GET TESTED, if you have the faintest thought you may have symptoms go and get checked out.
— Roger O’Donnell (@RogerODonnellX) September 1, 2024
If you know someone who is ill or suffering talk to them, every single word helps, believe me I know. I would also like to thank my Drs, rockstars everyone of them, all the nurses and technicians, my friends, family and Mimi, sometimes its harder to be on the other side of this…
— Roger O’Donnell (@RogerODonnellX) September 1, 2024