On the occasion of Blood Cancer Awareness Month, the keyboard player has been sharing his fight against the disease for several months to raise awareness about prevention.
“September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s a good opportunity to have a conversation about these diseases.” wrote in the preamble to his long message on Instagram Roger O’Donnell. In order to encourage the public to take preventive measures, the British keyboardist, member of the new wave group The Cure since 1987, revealed his fight against the disease for a year.
“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 eventually opted for a scan and after the operation the biopsy result was devastating. I have now completed 11 months of treatment under the guidance of some of the world’s leading specialists and with second opinions and advice from the teams who developed the drugs I was given.”says the musician.
Without skimping on details, Roger O’Donnell sets out the different stages of his treatment, between “the latest science fiction immunotherapy and some drugs first used 100 years ago” and “the last phase of treatment, radiotherapy which was also one of the first treatments developed against cancer”. Before concluding with a message of hope: “I’m doing well and the prognosis is unbelievable, the crazy axe murderer knocked on the door and we didn’t answer. Cancer CAN be beaten but if you’re diagnosed early enough you have a much better chance so all I have to say is go get tested, if you have any idea you might have symptoms go get checked.”
