Legendary
BLACK SABBATH guitarist
Tony Iommi has been
diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, a cancer of the
lymphocytes, a type of cell that forms part of the immune system.
Iommi,
63, is currently working with his doctors to establish the best
treatment plan and remains upbeat and determined to make a full and
successful recovery.
This comes as
BLACK SABBATH —
Ozzy Osbourne (vocals),
Tony Iommi (guitar),
Geezer Butler (bass) and
Bill Ward
(drums) — are writing and recording their first album in 33 years in
Los Angeles (still set for release this fall) with producer
Rick Rubin. They will now go to the U.K. to continue to work with
Tony.
Iommi's
BLACK SABBATH and
HEAVEN & HELL bandmate, legendary heavy metal singer
Ronnie James Dio, died of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.
In a June 2010 interview,
Iommi stated about his former bandmate, "I was talking to
Ronnie
[a few days before he died], and he said, 'I've gotta have this new
chemo, but I think it's working.' And that was the real big shock of it,
because within a week of that, he had passed away. So it was a big
shock for all of us, because we built ourselves up to [have him beat the
disease] and, of course, we didn't expect to lose."
According to the
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,
lymphoma is the name for many different types of cancer that arise in
the lymphocytes (immune cells). Treatment might involve chemotherapy and
in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can
be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage of the disease.
There
are three types of lymphocytes: B lymphocytes (B cells), T lymphocytes
(T cells) and natural killer (NK) cells. B lymphocytes make antibodies
to fight infection; T lymphocytes have many functions, including helping
B lymphocytes make the antibodies that fight infection; and natural
killer cells attack cancer cells and viruses. Lymphoma may arise in any
of these types of lymphocytes. In general, B-cell lymphomas are more
common than T-cell lymphomas; however, in the skin, T-cell lymphomas are
the most common type.
About 20 percent of the white cells in the
blood are lymphocytes. Most lymphocytes are found in the lymphatic
system, the major part of the body's immune system. The lymphatic system
consists of a network of organs, including the spleen, the lymph nodes
(small bean-shaped structures located throughout the body), the
lymphatic vessels and areas in the gastrointestinal tract.
Lymphoma
is divided into two major categories: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and
non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs), cancers
of the T lymphocytes, constitute a rare group of NHLs that arise
primarily in the skin and have various signs and symptoms, outcomes and
treatment considerations.
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