“September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to talk about it,” began the message shared on social media in which The Cure’s Roger O’Donnell revealed that he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma in September last year.
After ignoring his symptoms for a few months, he underwent tests and an operation. “The biopsy result was devastating. I underwent 11 months of treatment with some of the best specialists in the world, following the opinions and advice of the teams who developed the drugs I was given.”
The musician was fortunate to be subjected to the latest forms of immunotherapy. “In the last phase I also underwent radiotherapy, which is one of the first treatments developed against cancer.”
“I’m doing well and the prognosis is excellent,” O’Donnell adds. “The crazy killer with the scythe knocked on the door and we didn’t answer. Cancer can be beaten. If you catch it early enough, the chances are even higher and so my point is this: get tested even if you have the slightest suspicion that you have symptoms. If you know someone who is sick, talk to them, every single word helps, believe me, I know.”
A 68-year-old Londoner, O'Donnell joined The Cure as a live keyboardist in 1987, shortly before the release of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. He participated in the recording of the classic Disintegration and left the group in 1990, only to rejoin in 1995. He remained with the group until 2005, before returning to the group in 2011.
An hour ago, after posting a photo with his partner Mimi Sheytanova, the musician posted another photo of himself with short hair, joking that he has always had it long: “Hair is not like that by choice, hahahahah.”
