Rumours are that Aerosmith were the big name band that pulled out of the Soundwave Revolution festival in Australia last month, leading to the event’s cancellation. Here’s perhaps a reason why they might have if that was the case. The band’s bass player Tom Hamilton has undergone radical laser treatment for cancer.
The four string player was treated last week for cancer of the tongue and throat which was apparently successful. He told radio station Ksat.com: “I was just terrified,” Hamilton said. “I really thought, ‘Oh, I am looking at not being able to talk.The second I had a tiny bit of consciousness, the first thing I did was make a sound, and it felt normal, and it sounded normal.”
Surgeon Dr Steven Zeitels says “This is not your classic way, or even traditional way, to try and remove a cancer from the tongue base.” He explains that the laser emits a green light which concentrates on the blood vessels carrying the cancer. “Where there is a lot of cancer, there will be a lot of blood,” Zeitels said. “Where there is a lot of blood, there will be a lot of combustion so that you are actually watching the tissues burn completely different” he says.
In good news for Hamilton, he will be able to join the band for a tour of Mexico and South America this spring, but alas for fans who might have seen them at Soundwave Revolution, the band won’t be headed down under.
