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Roger O’Donnell, the longtime keyboardist for the beloved band The Cure, has revealed that he’s been diagnosed with a “devastating” form of cancer that is “very rare and aggressive.”

O’Donnell Reveals Secret Cancer Battle

O’Donnell, 68, took to social media on September 1 to mark the beginning of Blood Cancer Awareness Month in the United Kingdom. He did this by making the shocking revelation that for much of the past year, he’s been secretly battling a “very rare and aggressive” form of blood cancer.

“I had ignored the symptoms for a few months but finally went and after surgery the result of the biopsy was devastating,” O’Donnell began.

“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,” he continued. “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.”

Related: Elle Macpherson, 60, Reveals Why She Refused Chemotherapy Amid Secret Breast Cancer Battle

O’Donnell’s Prognosis

O’Donnell later said that these days, he’s doing “fine and the prognosis is amazing.”

“The mad axe murderer knocked on the door and we didn’t answer,” he joked, showing that his trademark sense of humor is very much intact.

Getting serious again, O’Donnell also urged others to stay up to date on their medical tests. Indeed, he now knows firsthand how important it is to catch cancer early.

“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,” he stated emphatically.

O’Donnell wrote all of this alongside a photo of himself and his longtime partner Mimi.

“If you know someone who is ill or suffering, talk to them. Every single word helps — believe me I know,” he concluded. “I would also like to thank my [doctors], rockstars, every one of them, all the nurses and technicians, my friends, family and Mimi. Sometimes it’s harder to be on the other side of this.”

Related: ‘Top Chef’ Star Shirley Chung, 47, Diagnosed With Very Serious Cancer – Shares Brave Video Shaving Her Head

What Is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is an aggressive type of blood cancer. Its symptoms include fever, night sweats, fatigue, itchy skin, swelling of lymph nodes, weight loss and more, according to the Mayo Clinic. This type of cancer is typically treated with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and CAR-T cell therapy.

O’Donnell has been with The Cure since 1987. Last year, he sat out of the iconic band’s The Cure’s Latin America tour. He said at the time that he had to do this for “health reasons” that he didn’t specify.

“We are sure you will join with us in wishing him the speediest of recoveries,” the band said in a statement explaining his absence.

Sadly, O’Donnell isn’t the first member of The Cure to battle cancer. Indeed, back in 2019, the band’s former drummer Andy Anderson died at age 68. His passing came just one week after he revealed to the world that he had terminal cancer.

We would certainly love to see O’Donnell performing again with The Cure as soon as possible. Please join us in saying a prayer for him moving forward!