Grateful Dead’s Lesh in new cancer battle
Bassist Phil forced to cancel shows as he prepares for treatment

Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh has revealed he’s battling cancer for the second time.
He was diagnosed with tumours in his bladder earlier this month and he’s preparing undergo surgery in Scottsdale, Arizona, to remove tumours.
And he reports the prognosis is good.
Lesh – who underwent successful prostate cancer surgery in 2006 – says: “I am very fortunate to have the pathology reports show that the tumours are all non-aggressive, and that there is no indication that they have spread.”
He’s postponed two planned Phil & Friends shows with Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson, which were due to take place on October 24 and 25 at his Terrapin Crossroads restaurant in California. He aims to return to action two weeks after the surgery, and his six scheduled performances at New York’s Capitol Theatre starting on October 30 are expected to go ahead as planned.
The Grateful Dead brought the curtain down on their career earlier this year with a run of Fare Thee Well shows at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The three performances were filmed for a live release, out on November 20.
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