NEW YORK (AP) -- Beastie Boy Adam Yauch has what is described as a \"very treatable\" cancerous tumor in his salivary gland.
An announcement came Monday from the group, which is canceling its tour dates and postponing an album release.
A statement says the tumor was found early. It's confined to one area and is considered very treatable.
In a video released by the band, Yauch tells fans that the Beastie Boys \"have to cancel a bunch of our shows coming up\" because he had \"been feeling this little lump in my throat ... I actually have a form of cancer in the gland, and it's in a gland called the parotid gland, and it's in a lymph node in that area.\"
He will need surgery and other treatment, but the statement says his vocal cords will not be affected. Despite the grim prognosis, Yauch says that \"the good news is that they did scans of my whole body, and it's only localized in this one area. And, it's not in a place that affects my voice, so that's nice.\"
The 43-year-old Yauch is not only part of the pioneering rap group, but has also emerged as a film producer.
