The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood says he’s ‘all clear’ from cancer
Ronnie Wood says doctors have given him the all clear from cancer after being diagnosed last year.
The 70-year-old guitarist underwent keyhole surgery in May 2017 to have a cancerous lesion removed from his lung after doctors discovered it at a routine check-up.
Last August Ronnie revealed the surgery had been a success, however, he had to return for further appointments to check whether the cancer had returned.
Giving an update to Metro this week, Ronnie said: “I had three months of check-ups and it was all clear and they said go and enjoy life.”
He continued: “If your body is riddled with cancer, it’s a losing cause. Luckily, all mine was contained within the left lung and I was fortunate enough to get shot of it, bang. There was none in the rest of my body so I didn’t require chemo.”
Ronnie joked that after “smoking for England for over 50 years” it was “a wonder I wasn’t riddled with cancer in both lungs. It’s a wonder they both didn’t explode.”
Asked if he had a message to people battling cancer, Ronnie responded: “Just be strong and remain positive. I was prepared to remain positive to my dying breath.
“I’ve had a great life and I was all ready to go. Wow! I didn’t know I was going to be given the ticket to last this long. What a reprieve.”
The Rolling Stones’ No Filter Tour hits the UK this summer for a total of eight stadium shows.
Ronnie insisted to Metro that “there’s nothing to stop” them doing another tour “because I think the band is playing the best it’s ever played.”
“All of the songs we play have a life of their own,” Ronnie explained. “Instead of the monotony of ‘er, not that song again’, which you would think might set in with us being so weathered and aged, there’s a kind of freshness.
“Satisfaction, for instance - that takes on a completely different shape every time we play it now, which means it’s more of a challenge to make it ring true with a different presentation.”
For ticket availability to the No Filter Tour, head to Planet Rock Tickets. The Rolling Stones play:
MAY 2018
London Stadium – Tue 22nd
London Stadium - Fri 25th
Southampton St Mary’s Stadium – Tue 29th
JUNE 2018
Coventry Ricoh Stadium – Sat 2nd
Manchester Old Trafford Football Stadium – Tue 5th
Edinburgh BT Murrayfield Stadium – Sat 9th
Cardiff Principality Stadium – Fri 15th
London Twickenham Stadium – Tue 19th