Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch Has Cancer

The Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch has been diagnosed with cancer and will undergo surgery, he announced in a video posting on the group's website this morning. The band has canceled its summer tour plans and delayed the release of its forthcoming album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1," in order to allow time for his recovery.

According to the video announcement, Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left salivary gland last week, and while it is localized to that area and is treatable, immediate surgery is required. According to Yauch, his vocal chords are not affected, and he is expecting to make a full recovery.

The Beastie Boys' Adam "MCA" Yauch has been diagnosed with cancer and will undergo surgery, he announced in a video posting on the group's website this morning. The band has canceled its summer tour plans and delayed the release of its forthcoming album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1," in order to allow time for his recovery.

According to the video announcement, Yauch was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his left salivary gland last week, and while it is localized to that area and is treatable, immediate surgery is required. According to Yauch, his vocal chords are not affected, and he is expecting to make a full recovery.

"I'm actually going to have to have surgery probably next week, coming up, and then after that have to have some radiation done," Yauch says in the video. "But the good news is that 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."

"It's a little bit of a setback, it's a pain in the ass, but this is something that's very treatable," he adds.

The Beastie Boys had planned for a busy summer, including headlining slots at many of the major festivals in the United States - Lollapalooza, All Points West, Outside lands and Austin City Limits - as well as a September date at the Hollywood Bowl. The group performed at the Bonnaroo Festival in Manchester, Tenn. last month.

"I apologize to everybody, for anyone who's made plans or was psyched to come to these shows that are coming up," says Yauch. "We'll be back doing this soon."

"Hot Sauce Committee Part 1," the group's eighth album, was originally scheduled for release on Sept. 15. The set will include 17 tracks, including "Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win" featuring Santigold and "Too Many Rappers" featuring Nas.

EMI, the group's label home for all but its debut release, issued a statement this afternoon: "Our thoughts, love and prayers are with Adam Yauch, his family and the Beastie Boys. The most important thing is to allow Adam to focus on staying healthy. We wish him all the best and a speedy recovery."