Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has opened up about the important advice Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson gave him during his cancer battle, according to loudersound.com.
Mustaine explained what set Dickinson’s support apart from typical well-wishes. He noted how the Iron Maiden singer’s own experience as a cancer survivor gave him a unique perspective on what he needed to hear.
“Bruce (Dickinson) had some fantastic stuff to say as a cancer survivor,” Mustaine said. “There’s a big difference between someone saying, ‘You’re in my thoughts and prayers’, versus somebody who goes into detail about his treatment and tells you about the outcome. I needed hope, and he gave me it.”
Mustaine went on to highlight another piece of advice that helped him through his diagnosis and treatment.
“It’s to surround yourself with good people,” he continued, “make sure you’re spending time with people who are upbeat and positive.”
The comments shed light on the support network Mustaine leaned on during a difficult period in his life. Both musicians know exactly what that fight looks like from the inside, having each gone through their own harrowing battles with cancer years apart.
Mustaine announced his throat cancer diagnosis on June 17, 2019. He revealed that the disease had spread to two lymph nodes in his throat. He began treatment almost immediately, working with doctors on a plan they believed carried a 90 percent success rate. Over the following months, Mustaine underwent 51 rounds of radiation and nine rounds of chemotherapy.
By early 2020, Mustaine’s fight had paid off. He announced to the crowd during a Megadeth concert at London’s SSE Arena on January 31, 2020, that he was “100 percent” cancer-free. The announcement closed out a grueling chapter that had forced the band to delay recording and touring plans.
Dickinson’s own cancer battle predates Mustaine’s by several years. Doctors discovered a cancerous tumor at the back of Dickinson’s tongue during a routine check-up in late 2014. He underwent an intense course of treatment that included three rounds of chemotherapy and 33 sessions of radiation therapy, all while working to keep his singing voice intact.
Dickinson was declared cancer-free in May 2015. He returned to performing with Iron Maiden not long after. He later joked that his voice sounded like a “wounded buffalo” in the immediate aftermath of treatment before it eventually recovered.
