Phil Lesh

Cancer Type – Bladder

Bio – Phil Lesh the Grateful Dead star who batted prostate and bladder cancer.

Short Story – He is the bassist for the Grateful Dead, and one of the founding members of the classic rock band. As you can imagine, fans were devastated at the news that Lesh was diagnosed with bladder cancer at the age of 75.

The band was forced to cancel several concerts in October 2015 due to the rock legend spending a few weeks in the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale to undergo testing and the removal of tumors. In a letter to fans, Lesh acknowledged. “I am very fortunate to have the pathology reports show that the tumors are all non-aggressive and that there is no indication that they have spread,” Lesh said. “So thanks to my local doctor Cliff Sewell, and the incredible team at the Mayo Clinic, all is well and I can return to normal activities in two weeks from my surgery.”

This was not Phil Lesh’s first battle with cancer. He battled prostate cancer in 2006.

However, before the cancer, in 1997, Phil and friends created The Unbroken Chain Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to create help for and public awareness to groups and individuals that bring hope and inventiveness to societies where a great need happens; also, to create organizations with people working together for a common good, especially in such areas as the arts, education and the environment.

Lesh is cancer free. We are thankful he took the band’s lyrics to heart, “I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.”