Beastie Boy Adam Yauch reveals he has cancer

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The Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch has revealed he has a cancerous tumor in his left patroid (salivary) gland, forcing the band to cancel all upcoming concert appearances to allow for Yauch's surgery and additional treatment.

Yauch made the announcement, accompanied by bandmate Adam "Ad-Rock" Howovitz, in a YouTube video statement that can be seen below.

Luckily, the tumor was caught early and is localized in one area, and as such is considered very treatable. It is said that the cancer is not in a location that will affect Yauch's voice.

All plans on hold

"I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we'll release the record and play some shows" Adam Yauch in a statement regarding his cancerous tumor

Following Yauch's announcement, all plans for the Beastie Boys are on hold, including headlining concert shows at Lollapalooza, All Points West and the Austin City Limits festival.

In addition, the release of the album Hot Sauce Committee, Pt 1, originally set for 15 September, has been pushed back to an indeterminate date.

Looking forward to band activity after treatment

"I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we'll release the record and play some shows," Yauch said in a statement following the YouTube video release.

"It's a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because I was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later."

Here's wishing Yauch a successful treatment and speedy recovery.

Joe Bosso
Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.