Dead's Lesh Has Prostate Cancer
Phil Lesh has plenty to be grateful for. Especially good health care.
The Grateful Dead bassist has announced he's battling prostate cancer. But don't worry, Deadheads, the disease was detected at an early stage and Lesh says he has no plans to stop grooving anytime soon.
The 66-year-old musician revealed on PhilLesh.net that he learned of his condition from a "crack team of doctors" who've been monitoring him regularly through periodic blood tests and clinic visits ever since he underwent a successful liver transplant in 1998.
"At my last clinic, my doctor noticed that my PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) levels had increased over the last period. He recommended that I see a urologist, and a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis," Lesh said.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said he planned to go under the knife in early December, when physicians will remove the cancer using the minimally invasive da Vinci robotic surgery system. Because the malignant cells are "small and slow-growing," Lesh expressed confidence he'll make a "rapid and complete recovery."
"I am feeling energetic as always, and all my scheduled appearances will occur as planned," he added.
The rock legend is one of thousands of men, typically over 50, who are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. Other celebrities who have fought the disease include Sean Connery, Quincy Jones, Roger Moore, Sydney Poitier and Robert De Niro.
The last time Lesh sent tremors down Shakedown Street was eight years ago when, after receiving his new liver, he broke the news that he had been suffering from a hepatitis C infection since 1992. Although he kept quiet about his condition for his family's sake, the bassist went public after the transplant operation and has since become an outspoken advocate urging people to sign up as organ donors.
Faced with his latest health crisis, Lesh is now doing the same, urging all men to consult their doctors about having regular PSA screenings for early detection of prostate cancer.
When he's not touring with his fellow Grateful Dead members as the Other Ones or the Dead, or headlining his own band, Phil Lesh and Friends, the "Box of Rain" performer is busy raising money for his Unbroken Chain Foundation, a charity created by him and his wife that seeks to foster community service among those in the Deadhead community.
Last year, he completed Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead, the first book published by a Dead member.
Despite his cancer announcement, Lesh is still set to appear at Amoeba Music on Haight Street in San Francisco--the hippie haven where the Dead first came together--on Halloween between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to sign copies of his new DVD/CD release, Phil Lesh & Friends Live at the Warfield.
Lesh will also join a lineup including Patti Smith, Rosanne Cash, Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant, the Rooots, Medeski Martin and Wood and Joan Osbourne, among others, for a Bob Dylan tribute concert at New York City's Lincoln Center on Nov. 9 to raise money for Music for Youth.
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