Beastie Boys’, Adam Yauch – better known as MCA – has died of a rare cancer. According to Rolling Stone, the rapper had been diagnosed in 2009 and was being treated for a cancer on the salivary gland.
The Beastie Boys were just inducted into the Rock and Roll of Fame in April.
Yauch’s treatment, apparently had delayed the release of their latest album “Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2,” and he was unable to attend the induction ceremony.
I’d like to dedicate this to my brothers Adam and Mike,” Yauch wrote, according to Rolling Stone. “They walked the globe with me. It’s also for anyone who has ever been touched by our band.”
The group has not performed since 2009 and the illness kept the group from appearing in music videos, according to Rolling Stone.
Cancer of the salivary gland is quite rare. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncologists, it’s seen in only two out of 100,000 people.
It often starts in the gland that produces saliva and then spreads into the mouth.
This cancer normally appears in the parotid gland, located just in front of the ear. There are a number of different types of this cancer, and it’s unclear exactly what kind MCA had.
Treatment for this cancer can involve surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Founded with Mike “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horowitz in 1979, the group has its roots in hardcore punk, but then quickly transitioned to hip-hop.
The Oral Cancer Foundation estimates that 37,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with oral cancer each year, and 8,000 people will die from it. Nine out of every ten oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas which spread quickly and most commonly originate on the tongue, but can also appear on the gums, inner cheeks, lips, and roof and floor of the mouth.
Tobacco use is associated with 75% of all oral cancers, and it includes smokeless tobacco, cigars and pipes as well as cigarette smoking. Heavy alcohol use alone is also a prominent risk factor, and when tobacco use and alcohol use are combined together, it produces a synergistic effect that greatly increases the risk for oral cancer. New research has shown that human papillomavirus-16 (HPV-16), the same virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer, is also causing many cases of oral cancer in both tobacco users and non-tobacco users alike. People who have suppressed immune systems, such as people who have had organ transplants and are on anti-rejection drugs, are also prone to developing oral cancer.