The Beastie Boys cancelled upcoming tour dates and are pushing back their album release because Adam "MCA" Yauch has been diagnosed with cancer. These schedule changes will allow Adam to seek treatment.

"The reason we’re here talking is because I have some pretty heavy news
to say," Yauch said in the video. "About two months ago, I started
feeling this little lump in my throat, like what you would feel if you
have swollen glands or something like that… and so I didn’t really
think it was anything. But then recently, when we were over in Europe
doing promotion, I started to think that I should talk to my doctor, so
I … saw him when I got back, and he sent me to a specialist. They did
tests, and I actually have a form of cancer in the gland that’s over
here, in the parotid gland, and it’s also in the lymph node right in
that area."

Adam said he will have surgery and begin radiation this week, but his doctors are "optimistic" about his prognosis.

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"The good news is, 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. That’s convenient," he laughed. "So it’s a
little bit of a setback – it’s a pain in the ass – but this is
something that’s very treatable, and in most cases … they’re able to
completely get rid of it, and people don’t have continuing problems
with it, and they’ve caught it early and it’s not anywhere else in my
body. So, that’s the good news."

Adam even joked that this break will allow bandmate Ad-Rock time to work on his "Kenny Rogers-themed country band."

Thank goodness they caught it before it spread. Get well soon, Adam!