On Monday, June 17, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine announced via the band's website that he has been diagnosed with cancer. Most of the group's 2019 tour dates have been canceled as he receives treatment.
"I’ve been diagnosed with throat cancer," Mustaine said in a statement. "It’s clearly something to be respected and faced head on -- but I’ve faced obstacles before.
"I’m working closely with my doctors, and we’ve mapped out a treatment plan which they feel has a 90% success rate. Treatment has already begun," he continued.
Mustaine, a former Fallbrook resident, said treatment requires the band to cancel most of its scheduled shows this year. However, he assured fans that Megadeth's "Megacruise" (scheduled for Oct. 13-18) would still happen, with the band taking part of it "in some form"; all updated information would be posted to their website.
Originally Metallica's lead guitarist, Mustaine went on to found and front Megadeth after departing the band in 1983. The famed thrash metal group has sold more than 38 million albums worldwide and received 12 Grammy nominations to-date.
The celebrated (and occasionally controversial) guitarist has made plenty of local headlines over the last few years -- like his collaborative performance with the San Diego Symphony in 2014, the $5.375 million listing of his sprawling Fallbrook estate in 2015, last year's announcement of the first-ever Megacruise luxury excursion (also featuring Anthrax, Testament, Dragonforce and more) and more.
Mustaine said he and the other band members are also still in the studio working on their next album, a follow-up to the group's 2016 Grammy-winning full-length record, "Dystopia."
Local
"I'm so thankful for my whole team -- family, doctors, band members, trainers, and more," he said. "I'll keep everyone posted."
