Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, known within the band as "MCA," has been diagnosed with cancer.  Upcoming treatment is causing the Beastie Boys to delay the release of their upcoming album.  They've also been forced to cancel and postpone several concert appearances to promote the record.

A cancerous tumor was discovered on Yauch's left salivary gland.  While cancer diagnoses are never good, there is reason for hope.  The diagnosis is said to have been early and is very localized.  Yauch said in a video statement his doctors are confident they can safely operate and remove the cancer.  The area in need of surgery shouldn't affect Yauch's vocal chords, meaning he should be able to resume his role with Beastie Boys at the end of his course a treatment.  Surgery and radiation therapy are both expected to be part of the treatment and a full recovery is expected.

"It's a little bit of a setback, it's a pain in the ass, but this is something that's very treatable," Yauch said.

While the life issues are obviously the most important, the timing of the diagnosis comes at a bad time for the Beastie Boys.  They had just performed at Bonnaroo and were slated to make several high profile appearances in support of a new studio album.  Hot Sauce Committee Part 1, 17 tracks of new music, was slated for a September 15 release date.  That date has now been pushed back but a new one has not been announced but EMI, the band's label, did release a statement.

"Our thoughts, love and prayers are with Adam Yauch, his family and the Beastie Boys. The most important thing is to allow Adam to focus on staying healthy. We wish him all the best and a speedy recovery."  

Article Author: Josh Hathaway

Josh Hathaway is a Sr. Music Editor for Blogcritics.

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