Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain reveals he had laryngeal cancer in 2020
Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2020 but is now cancer-free.
As reported by Blabbermouth, the musician opened up about his diagnosis in a single interview last year but otherwise kept it under wraps.
He had an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine, after which he received the diagnosis.
According to an interview on the website of the University Of Miami Health System, McBrain decided to get a check-up after noticing a change in his voice that wasn’t a result of performing.
“When I play drums with the band, I actually sort of scream and yell while I play, like a Judo guy slapping the mat,” McBrain said. “When you are lying down in a quiet room and you speak and hear your voice in your head and have a cold, you sound different. This happened to me.”
He continued: “I thought this is very reminiscent – this different sounding voice of mine – to when I finish a tour or after a show. I didn’t have a cold or any symptoms of illness at all. I started to feel that I was clearing my throat more when I was in conversations. So, I just took it on myself to call my doctor.”
Within a week, McBrain’s cancer was surgically removed and the drummer now continues to get check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn’t returned.
His doctor, David E. Rosow, said: “Many cases present with a voice change like Nicko’s and often when the tumor is as small as one to two millimeters, which makes the tumor easier to completely remove. The prognosis with early (stage 1) tumors is excellent, with published cure rates of 95% and up.”
McBrain added: “I thoroughly recommend that anyone who may feel there is something different with their voice to go and get it checked out. And don’t put it off. It was very good for me that I caught it in stage 1.”
Iron Maiden were recently on the North American leg of their ‘Legacy Of The Beast’ tour, which concluded in Tampa, Florida on October 27. In 2023, they are due to head to the UK and Europe for ‘The Future Past Tour’. You can find any remaining tickets here.
The band released their 17th and most recent studio record, ‘Senjutsu’, in September 2021. In a four-star review, NME praised the band for “letting [their] imaginations run wild in an album that’s more confident and idea-packed than ever before”.
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Arusa Qureshi
NME
