Few institutions are as respected in the music sphere as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (HOF). Musical greats like Miles Davis, Def Leppard, and Kiss make up the coveted list of HOF inductees.
Fans of Duran Duran were thrilled to hear the band was being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year, but the news about Andy Taylor’s stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis dampened the excitement of the ceremony.
Taylor, the band’s original guitarist, had been planning to reunite with his bandmates for the induction ceremony but was ultimately unable to attend the event due to his health issues. The rest of the band attended the induction, and when they took the stage, lead singer Simon Le Bon read a message from Taylor to the audience.
In it, Taylor wrote about how excited he was to be inducted, praised his band members for their accomplishments, and apologized for being too ill to attend. He encouraged men to get screened for prostate cancer, and, because Duran Duran has a large female fanbase, Taylor also emphasized that women should urge the men in their lives to get prostate cancer screenings.
Taylor Didn’t Notice any Symptoms Until the Cancer had Spread
Though prostate cancer causes symptoms in some people, many with the disease don’t notice any symptoms at all. Taylor’s symptoms began as pain he described as “arthritic.” After experiencing other symptoms, the appearance of tumors on his neck finally prompted Taylor to seek medical care. Sadly, a biopsy revealed the beloved musician had stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer Screenings Detect Cancer Early
Because you can’t rely solely on how you feel, it’s wise to get regular prostate cancer screenings beginning in your fifties—earlier if you have a close relative who was diagnosed with the illness or if you are in a higher-risk group. Screening for prostate cancer is simple, quick, and virtually pain-free. All that’s required is a blood sample to test prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
“Every minute is like an hour, every day is like a week. You really want to get the most out of life. Because I do music, it’s really helped me live with the pessimism of living with an incurable disease.”
-Andy Taylor
If you have symptoms of prostate cancer or a high-PSA test result, contact HALO to make an appointment at (877) 225-2831.
