Chimaira Vocalist Mark Hunter Diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer
Chimaira frontman Mark Hunter has been diagnosed with Papillary thyroid carcinoma, which is the most common variety of thyroid cancer. The good news is Hunter is getting treatment and, according to endocrineweb.com, “This type of cancer has a high cure rate—10-year survival rates for all patients with papillary thyroid cancer estimated at over 90%.”
Hunter made the announcement on Facebook:
“Hello friends.
“There’s no easy way to say it. I have thyroid cancer.
“Last year during a physical, my doctor discovered a large mass in my neck.
“I had two fine needle biopsies, but the results were inconclusive.
“A week ago, I had half of my thyroid removed so doctors could better test the tumor. The results were positive for Papillary cancer- the most common of thyroid cancers. Luckily, it also has a high cure rate. There is no known cause for this type of cancer, but it’s likely genetic. There weren’t any symptoms either.
“The next step is to remove the rest of my thyroid on August 12th and explore radioactive iodine treatment. I should probably sit on a beach somewhere after that.
“I’m grateful for my team of doctors at the Cleveland Clinic, my supportive friends and family, and for Lauren and her ability to help me out of the depressive dark hole the news caused me to go down. My mother is also an inspiration for having beat colon cancer, as are many of my friends and fans who’ve endured much worse.
“You guys and gals are my extended family, and I’m thankful to have you by my side after all these years. I truly appreciate it. My hope is this inspires you to stay on top of your health. A routine physical could save your life.
“In the meantime, I am going to stay busy on work-related projects while enjoying the rest of my summer. I’ll continue to keep my mind busy immersed in my hobbies shall it start to wander toward the dark side.
“Leaving you with my favorite quote from Nietzsche (and ‘Conan the Barbarian’) that I used as lyrics for ‘Resurrection’:
“‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger.’
“- Mark”
I was a massive Chimaira fan before we ever started MetalSucks. In the years since, I’ve been lucky enough to get to spend time with Mark and consider him a friend. That dude is a fighter, and I’m confident he’ll pull through — but we should all still offer our support. So on behalf of everyone here at MS, I wanna send out good vibes and wish him all the best, and ask that rest of our community please do the same.
Since Mark left us with some words from someone else that inspired him, I’ll leave you with some words of Mark’s that have helped me get through some pretty dark shit in the past: “Every struggle opens a door.”
