On June 27, 2024, American band The Mavericks frontman Raul Malo announced on Instagram that he was diagnosed with colon cancer.
In the post, Malo talked about how they had been on a health kick for being on the road for the last couple of years. Aside from nutrition, part of taking care of themselves a little bit better was making time to get checked out. After his routine physical, he had a follow-up with a gastroenterologist, who then ordered a colonoscopy. That led to a CAT scan, where two cancerous spots were discovered.
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Malo shared in an interview with Joseph Hudak of Rolling Stone that he felt solace in the diagnosis, saying, “It’s the fear of the unknown that always cripples us.”
According to a statement provided to Billboard, he said he was surrounded by a top team of doctors and was reassured that what he has is a common type of cancer and that his odds are good. He went on to say how they had a plan in place.
His doctors all agreed to start him on chemotherapy after the fourth of July. Because of that, their shows in Aspen on July 12 and Steamboat Springs on July 14 were cancelled, and their show in Denver on July 13 was rescheduled to August 25.
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Before ending the video, he encouraged fans to be proactive in taking care of their health and to get themselves checked.
And then, earlier in August, he gave fans a little update about his health journey. First, he thanked everyone for all the encouraging words and kind messages, which made him feel stronger than ever despite his weakened state.
He then informed fans of the good news. He just finished his second round of treatment, and his doctors are pleased with his progress. But the improvements weren’t without side effects. He expressed how he experienced an overwhelming sensation of lying down and just doing nothing, which was impossible for him. Nevertheless, he was managing, and he was looking forward to taking his dogs out for a walk and playing some guitar.
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And again, he reminded everyone not to put off consulting a doctor any longer.
Raul Malo, along with the rest of The Mavericks, has always been resilient. Just last year, their drummer Paul Deakin underwent two major surgeries — heart and brain — and he was back playing the drums within the year. “We just keep on going, man,” Malo said. “We’re kind of like Superman. Unless it’s Kryptonite, we’re not going down.”
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