Dave Mustaine Has Completed Treatment for Throat Cancer

It’s always nice to start the week with some good news, and this is indeed that: bassist David Ellefson says that Dave Mustaine has completed treatment for throat cancer and is “very optimistic about the future for Megadeth.”

Mustaine revealed his diagnosis in June. At that time, a treatment regimen with a 90% success rate had already begun, and although the band understandably had to cancel all their touring plans for the immediate future, Mustaine was able to continue working on the band’s new album.

It was when he was asked for an update on said album that Ellefson revealed Mustaine’s current health status:

“With Dave’s throat cancer treatments that he has now completed, and he’s just going through the recovery now, we’re hopeful and optimistic about a full recovery for him with that. Once he’s through that process, we’re gonna just let that take as much time as it needs, and then we’ll resume with the album. I’d like to hope maybe 2020 we’ll be able to get a new album out.”

Ellefson went on to express optimism that Mustaine will be “ready to go” by January, when the band is scheduled to tour Europe with Five Finger Death Punch and Bad Wolves (tickets):

“Sometime life throws you cards you didn’t expect. Megadeth, we’ve always been a resilient band and we’ve always just worked around obstacles. Dave’s a fighter, as we know. Just talking to him, he sounds very optimistic about the future for Megadeth.”

So this all sounds very positive, no? Here’s hoping Dave is indeed back in fighting shape by next year. It will be a massive relief to be worried about whether or not the next Megadeth album will sound like Super Collider instead of worrying about whether or not there will even be a next Megadeth album.

You can listen to the entire interview below.

[via]