Megadeth Cancels Tour Plans After Dave Mustaine Is Diagnosed With Throat Cancer

Rod Tanaka / www.tanakaphoto.com – Dave Mustaine of Megadeth
Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, Colo.

Megadeth has canceled its summer tour itinerary celebrating its 35th anniversary after frontman Dave Mustaine revealed a throat cancer diagnosis in a statement released today (June 17).

Mustaine says the diagnosis is “clearly something to be respected and faced head on — but I’ve faced obstacles before. I’m working closely with my doctors, and we’ve mapped out a treatment plan which they feel has a 90 percent success rate. Treatment has already begun.”

The cancellation does not include the band’s October 13-19 Megacruise, according to Mustaine, who expects Megadeth to be “back on the road ASAP.” Expected to join the band on the Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico, excursion are Anthrax, Testament, Queensryche, Suicidal Tendencies, Corrosion of Conformity, Metal Church and more.

It’s the second major touring blow in the year for Megadeth, which had been scheduled to support Ozzy Osbourne before he calledoff a slew of dates citing health issues. Among the dates on the band’s calendar are Rock in Rio in Rio De Janeiro Oct. 4 and the new Exit 111 Festival on the Bonnaroo site in Manchester, Tenn., Oct. 11.

Mustaine formed Megadeth in 1984 with bassist Dave Ellefson, after being ousted from Metallica as lead guitarist in 1981. The band has been a metal mainstay ever since.

The band has averaged 2,685 tickets sold for a gross of $102,018 per show over the last three years of data as reported to Pollstar.

Mustaine apparently is continuing to work with the band on a new record, despite the diagnosis.

“Kiko, David, Dirk and I are in the studio, working on the follow up to Dystopia – which I can’t wait for everyone to hear,” Mustaine wrote. “I’m so thankful for my whole team – family, doctors, band members, trainers, and more. I’ll keep everyone posted.”

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>I’ve been diagnosed with throat cancer. It’s clearly something to be respected and faced head on – but I’ve faced obstacles before. I’m working closely with my doctors, and we’ve mapped out a treatment plan which they feel has a 90% success rate… <a href=”https://t.co/8FBQUmloSf”>https://t.co/8FBQUmloSf</a> <a href=”https://t.co/CPuu2UFPv1″>pic.twitter.com/CPuu2UFPv1</a></p>— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) <a href=”https://twitter.com/DaveMustaine/status/1140643665427046401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>June 17, 2019</a></blockquote>