Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones Talks Lung Cancer and Why He Refused Chemotherapy
Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood recently opened up about his battle with lung cancer and discussed why he did not want to undergo chemotherapy.
Like many patients diagnosed with cancer, Wood also thought his days were ultimately numbered three months ago when his doctor told him that he had the disease. He told Event Magazine (via The Mail): "There was a week when everything hung in the balance and it could have been curtains – time to say goodbye."
Wood revealed that the cancerous lesion was first detected during a routine checkup last May. He and his band members are required to go through this medical process before going on tour.
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After the said checkup, Wood said the band's doctor broke the news that he "had this supernova burning away on my left lung." However, unlike many cancer patients, the rock music icon admitted he was not totally surprised. He also shared that despite "50 years of chain-smoking," the last time he had an x-ray before his diagnosis was in 2002.
Wood stopped smoking shortly before his twins with wife Sally Humphreys were born last year.
When asked by his doctor about what he wanted to do next, Wood's answer was simple: "Just get it out of me." After a series of tests, Wood said he was resolved not to go through chemotherapy if the cancer had already spread. He explained, "I wasn't going to use that bayonet in my body."
In the same interview, Wood admitted that he did not prefer chemotherapy simply because he wanted to keep his hair.
Luckily, further test results showed the cancer had not yet spread in his body, thus giving him the option to undergo surgery and remove the cancer cells in his lungs.
After his short bout with the disease, Wood says he is okay now and has to attend medical checkups every three months. In the end, he realized how lucky he was to have learned about his cancer at an early stage and advised everyone to "seriously get checked."
"I've always had a very strong guardian angel looking out for me. By rights I shouldn't be here," Wood added.
