In early September, country music group the Mavericks announced on Instagram that they would be canceling their upcoming shows due to singer Raul Malo’s medical condition. Fans were understanding and wished him a speedy recovery. Two weeks later, the Mavericks canceled their forthcoming concerts with Dwight Yoakam. Once again, fans overwhelmed the page with words of love and support.
On September 24, Malo posted a detailed update about his Stage 4 colon cancer on Instagram. Calling it “a very unpredictable and indiscriminatory disease,” he assured everyone that he’s no longer scared. As proof, he’s still planning more Mavericks’ shows for the future.
Malo Opens Up About His Prognosis and Upcoming Treatments
Malo began his post by explaining that he’d developed LMD, “which stands for ‘get this [expletive] out of my head,” he joked. “Treatment for this is radiation, which I will start tomorrow. We will probably jump into some chemo, and are even looking at alternative therapies.”
LMD stands for Leptomeningeal Disease, and means that the cancer has spread to the brain, spinal fluid, and the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. According to UC San Diego Health, it can cause motor and sensory problems, as well as cranial nerve issues, such as facial drooping. It can also cause neurological problems like headaches and seizures, or cognitive issues like memory loss.
He mentioned chemotherapy, and intrathecal chemotherapy is likely the type Malo will be undergoing. This involves injecting the medication directly into the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
Malo told NPR that he was scared when he was initially diagnosed. However, he insists that’s no longer the case.
“I want to let everybody know, I am in no way alone, or scared,” he wrote. “I have an amazing wife and boys, wonderful family, team, road crew, band, friends and fans. I don’t even have enough words to describe the love and support that I’m getting right now.”
The Mavericks Recognized Among the Greatest Country Artists
Malo founded The Mavericks, a band that blended country and Latin music, in 1989. The band has released 15 albums since then. They’ve received 8 Grammy Award nominations. In 1995, they won for their song “Here Comes The Rain” in the category of Best Country Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal. In 2020, their album “En Español” debuted at number one on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart. Billboard also included them in their list of 100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time.
