Michael Bolton opens up on brain cancer diagnosis: “I want to keep going”
Singer Michael Bolton has spoken for the first time since he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an incurable type of brain cancer, in 2023.
Bolton underwent emergency brain surgery in late 2023 and was diagnosed with glioblastoma following the medical procedure. During the surgery, doctors were able to remove the tumour in its entirety, which only occurs in 30 to 40 per cent of cases, and Bolton since underwent further surgery at the start of 2024 due to an infection.
The singer, who has sold more than 75 million records, finished his radiation and chemotherapy treatment last October. He now has to have MRI scans every two months to ensure the tumour has not returned. However, glioblastoma typically returns in 90 per cent of cases, which is why monitoring is vital.
In a new interview with People, Bolton shared of his health battle: “Succumbing to the challenge is not an option. You’re really quickly drawn into a duel. I guess that’s the way you find out what you’re made of. You’re reaching into your resources and your resolve in a way that you never would have thought.”
“Whenever you find yourself in any kind of challenging position, just to know that you’re not alone going through it is a big deal,” he continued. “It actually helps people to know. It reminds them that they’re not alone.”
Bolton remains committed to his music career, and has plans to use his cancer battle as inspiration for a song, revealing, “I want to keep going. I feel there’s still a lot to do on the fight side,I got a title for a song: ‘Ain’t Going Down Without a Fight.’”
The star, who continues to meditate and play golf on a regular basis, also said the experience has given him a “heightened sense of appreciation” and says it is “unthinkable for it to be okay not to make the most of your life”.
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