Eddie Van Halen has been flying to Germany in recent years to receive radiation treatments for throat cancer, according to a new report by TMZ.
First diagnosed with the health issue in 2000 – when it eventually drifted into his esophagus – the guitarist underwent surgery to remove a third of his tongue and he was declared cancer-free in 2002.
Despite the fact that he was heavy smoker for most of his life, the rocker has always stated his belief that the source of the issue was a series of metal guitar picks he had made in the late 1990s.
“I used metal picks - they’re brass and copper - which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer,” Eddie told Billboard in 2015. “Plus, I basically live in a recording studio that’s filled with electromagnetic energy. So that’s one theory. I mean, I was smoking and doing a lot of drugs and a lot of everything. But at the same time, my lungs are totally clear. This is just my own theory, but the doctors say it’s possible.”
While Eddie has switched from smoking to vaping, sources tell TMZ that Van Halen has flown to Germany for the past five years to get treatments that included doctors scraping cancer cells directly out of his throat and, that for the most part, it's worked to keep the disease in check.
As rumors circulate that health issues are keeping Van Halen off the road four years after the band’s last performance, David Lee Roth has hinted that that is the case, recently telling WRIF Detroit that he thinks “Van Halen's finished” and that “Eddie's got his own story to tell.”
"Eddie changed the planet. Him and Alex are sitting there laying back and they're waiting to see what happens next,” Steve Lukather of Toto told Eddie Trunk recently. “I think they're on a hiatus. There's been some health issues that they're dealing with and stuff like that. We're older guys now, and to go on the road, and stuff like that, it requires a lot of extra effort in terms of as a human being.
"All I'm gonna say is I don't think there's any drama issues that are keeping them from working right now. I'm not the guy to say anything. I love those brothers so much and we've always had a great relationship. I'm a big fan and also adore them as human beings."
No official statements have been released regarding Eddie’s health status or Van Halen’s plans moving forward.
Van Halen will release a new box set entitled “The Japanese Singles 1978-1984” on November 1; the package collects all 13 7” vinyl singles issued in Japan during the band’s original era, from the group’s 1978 self-titled debut to their sixth album, “1984.”
See also:
Van Halen hiatus related to health issues
David Lee Roth says Van Halen is finished
Van Halen to release Japanese singles box set
David Lee Roth announces Las Vegas residency
Search Van Halen at hennemusic
