Eddie Van Halen is reportedly taking necessary precautions to protect his health.
The guitar legend has allegedly been flying between the United States and Germany for throat cancer treatment, TMZ reported on Monday. According to the outlet, the 64-year-old has been “quietly” doing so for several years.
A rep for the Van Halen rocker had no comment when reached by Fox News.
Sources told the gossip site that the Van Halen musician has been flying to Germany for five years for radiation treatment, which has “worked to keep the disease in check.” The star also “seems to be doing OK.”
VAN HALEN’S EX-MANAGER TELLS ALL IN NEW MEMOIR
Guitarist Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen performs on stage at Sleep Train Amphitheatre on September 30, 2015, in Chula Vista, California.
(Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)
MTV CONTEST WINNER REVEALS DETAILS OF WILD WEEKEND WITH VAN HALEN IN 1984
In 2015, Billboard magazine reported Van Halen had tongue cancer, which drifted into his esophagus. Consequently, one-third of his tongue had to be being surgically removed. The surgery “slightly” affected his speech, but it didn’t stop him from hitting the road and touring.
UK’s Metro also reported Van Halen was initially diagnosed in 2000 but was given the all-clear in 2002.
Van Halen told Billboard that while he ditched the cigarettes, he felt there was something else to blame.
“I used metal picks — they’re brass and copper — which I always held in my mouth, in the exact place where I got the tongue cancer,” he explained at the time. “Plus, I basically live in a recording studio that’s filled with electromagnetic energy. So that’s one theory. I mean, I was smoking and doing a lot of drugs and a lot of everything. But at the same time, my lungs are totally clear. This is just my own theory, but the doctors say it’s possible.”
SON OF A FAMOUS DRUMMER, VAN HALEN MAKES OWN NAME IN TRACK
Van Halen (from left: drummer Alex Van Halen, bassist Michael Anthony, singer David Lee Roth and guitarist Eddie Van Halen), US hard rock band, pose for a group studio portrait, in 1978.
(Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images)
DAVID LEE ROTH NABS LAS VEGAS RESIDENCY
GuitarWorld.com reported Van Halen last performed in October 2015 at the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl. However, David Lee Roth told the Talkin’ Rock With Meltdown podcast in September of this year that the band is probably “finished.”
“That’s been canceled a number of times,” said the 65-year-old frontman about a rumored stadium tour that was supposed to occur over the summer but never happened.
“And I think Van Halen’s finished and [my upcoming Las Vegas residency] is the next phase,” he continued. “I’ve inherited the band de facto — whatever that means. I think it means if you inherit it, carry this proudly. Van Halen is gonna be coming back in the fashion that you know. And that being said, Eddie’s got his own story to tell. Not mine to tell it.”
