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Artist News
Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi reveals his cancer is in remission
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 11 August 2016
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi’s cancer is in remission, he said this week while unveiling a plaque at the hospital where he has been receiving treatment.
As previously reported, Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2012, and last year admitted that health concerns were the reason for Black Sabbath’s current farewell tour.
This week Iommi took time out of that tour to unveil a plaque at the Spire Specialist Care Centre, a new facility at Solihull’s Spire Parkway Hospital, which has been awarded the Macmillan Quality Environment Mark for its cancer care. Although he will have to have blood tests every six weeks for the rest of his life, the guitarist used the event to reveal he is currently clear of cancer.
“I came back to hospital straight after we finished a round of European tour dates, and the good news is that everything is alright up to this point”, he told the Birmingham Mail. “I am in remission and hopefully, this situation will continue. The chemotherapy and the follow-up treatment appear to have done the trick – but I’m aware that it could come back one day”.
Commenting on the Spire Centre, he added: “The new centre, which is separated from the hospital, offers a warm and welcoming environment. All the staff are friendly and helpful. You can talk to them about any concerns you may have, about your treatment or just about life in general, which is sometimes exactly what you need. I can’t thank them enough for what they have done for me, and others like me”.
Black Sabbath’s ‘The End’ tour starts up again in the US later this month, before eventually making its way back to the UK, finishing up with two nights at the Genting Arena in Birmingham next February.
