Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell recently announced via Facebook that his Hodgkin lymphoma had returned after going into a relatively brief remission.
The diagnosis has forced him to withdraw from the band's tour of North America.
"I'm saddened by the fact that my cancer has returned," Campbell said on Facebook. "However, I'm beyond consolation that its return will prevent me from being able to do my job for a while. I'm still working on a schedule of treatment with my doctors, but I will see you all very soon."
The 52-year-old announced that he was receiving chemotherapy treatment for the disease two years ago.
"I feel fortunate that my cancer sent me an alarm call in the form of 'the cough that wouldn't quit,'" Campbell wrote via Facebook at the time. "Otherwise, how would I have known?"
Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune response that fights disease. Cells from the lymphatic system may grow at an unusual rate and even begin spreading to other parts of the body. Unchecked, the disease can affect the body's ability to fight off infection. The good news is that doctors are better than ever at treating the disease.
"Advances in diagnosis and treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma have helped give people with this diagnosis the chance for a full recovery," according to the Mayo Clinic. "The prognosis continues to improve for people with Hodgkin's lymphoma."
According to the American Cancer Society, around 9,050 people will be diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma this year in the US. About 1,150 people will die from the disease in 2015.
Guitarist Steve Brown (of Trixter fame) will fill in for Campbell, who's only expected to miss the first few shows of Def Leppard's summer tour.
