Dennis Pepa, founding bassist of the San Francisco Bay Area metal band Death Angel, has revealed that he is battling stage four duodenal cancer. He has asked for financial help through a GoFundMe fundraising campaign.
Pepa opened his statement by introducing himself. He thanked those who had taken the time to visit his page.
“My name is Dennis,” Pepa said. “You might know me from a Death Angel record sleeve, from work, or from years of friendship. Maybe we’re meeting for the first time here. Whatever the circumstance which finds you here on my page reading this note, thanks for taking the time to do so. It means a lot.”
He then explained that he would address the situation directly.
“Forgive me, but I’m going to get straight to it because, well, I’m already feeling very vulnerable, and there’s no easy way for me to say any of this,” he said.
Pepa went on to describe his diagnosis and the circumstances surrounding it.
“In February 2026, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Duodenal Cancer,” Pepa said. “I’d already lost my job of almost 20 years. Suddenly, my family and I had to find money for cancer treatment while trying to keep up with the everyday bills. I’m asking for help to pursue treatment at the Immunocine Cancer Center in Mexico and support my family through the months ahead.”
He also detailed the treatment he is seeking.
“I’ve been researching the Center, and it offers something called dendritic cell immunotherapy, which uses a patient’s own immune cells and tumor material to prepare a personalized treatment,” he said. “The aim, as the Center explains it, is to help the immune system recognize and attack the cancer in the best possible way, based on your unique body.”
Pepa then outlined the campaign’s financial goal and what it is intended to cover.
“Our fundraising goal is $150,000,” Pepa said. “That will help get the treatment I need in Mexico, and help my family remain supported. It is enormously difficult to arrive at a dollar amount, yet it is the reality of where I am, and I’m asking for help because our family can’t manage these expenses alone. The treatment accounts for the largest part of the goal. Heal Navigator’s public listing puts Immunocine’s treatment cost at $120,000. I still need to confirm the cost of my own care, but that gives you an idea of what we’re trying to cover before we even get to flights and living expenses.”
Further updates may follow.
Pepa has been part of the Bay Area thrash scene since its earliest days. His role in Death Angel’s history and the nature of his illness help explain why the news has drawn attention.
Death Angel formed in 1982 in Daly City, California, when cousins Rob Cavestany, Gus Pepa, Dennis Pepa and Andy Galeon started the band. Dennis Pepa played bass and originally handled lead vocals. Mark Osegueda took over as the permanent singer in 1984. Pepa stayed on as bassist.
Pepa played on the band’s early releases, including The Ultra-Violence, Frolic Through the Park and Act III. These albums shaped Death Angel’s reputation in the Bay Area thrash movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Pepa later returned to the band for a second stint that began in 2001, after the group reformed.
Pepa left Death Angel in 2008. He announced his departure with a statement that looked back on his long history with the group.
“I’ve been with Death Angel since its inception in the ’80s and believe it is time for me to move on,” he said.
Duodenal cancer is a very rare form of gastrointestinal cancer. It accounts for less than one percent of all gastrointestinal cancers and makes up a portion of cancers of the small intestine. Cancers of the small intestine tend to carry a poorer outlook than colon cancer. Survival rates generally fall as the stage advances.
