Michael Bolton has confirmed he’s been diagnosed with glioblastoma, a disease so deadly it’s been called “the terminator.” The fast-growing brain cancer can affect anyone, at any age, and has a grim prognosis.
The news comes more than a year after the singer announced he was diagnosed with a brain tumor that required “immediate surgery” in December 2023, but provided no additional details.
Doctors were able to remove the entire glioblastoma tumor, Bolton revealed in an interview with People magazine published on Wednesday, April 30. He underwent a second brain surgery in January 2024 to treat an infection. He finished radiation and chemotherapy in October, but the brain cancer treatment has affected his short-term memory, speech and mobility.
“Succumbing to the challenge is not an option. You’re really quickly drawn into a duel. I guess that’s the way you find out what you’re made of,” Bolton told People.
The singer is closely monitored with MRI scans every two months to check for any recurrence. His most recent scan in early April was clear, he said.
Bolton said he’s staying hopeful. He’s already beating the odds for a disease that comes with a median survival of 15 months, according to the National Library of Medicine.
As it spreads, the tumor can affect cognition, mood, behavior and every function of the body, leaving a previously active and otherwise healthy person unable to work or do everyday activities, the National Brain Tumor Society warned.
What is glioblastoma?
Also called glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), it’s the most common and most aggressive form of brain cancer in adults, accounting for 35-40% of malignant brain tumors, according to the National Cancer Institute. About 14,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
There is no cure, and treatment is difficult since glioblastoma grows tentacles into the brain rather than forming a solid mass. It’s rare that doctors can remove the entire tumor, as in Bolton’s case.
What are the risk factors?
The only confirmed risk factor is radiation therapy to the head and neck, but the vast majority of glioblastomas occur randomly, according to the American Brain Tumor Association.
“It’s a mistake in cell division that could happen at any time. Thankfully, it’s rare,” Dr. Steven Kalkanis, chair of neurosurgery at Henry Ford Health System and medical director of the Henry Ford Cancer Institute in Detroit, previously told TODAY.com.
Men are more likely than women to develop glioblastoma and there’s evidence women respond better to treatment, according to the National Cancer Institute.
At this time, there’s no known way to reduce your risk, the American Cancer Society advises. The most important thing you can do is not to ignore the warning signs so the cancer can be diagnosed early, when treatment may be most effective.
What are the symptoms?
They’re varied and may depend on where in the brain the tumor is located. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the National Cancer Institute list these warning signs:
- Persistent headaches — this is the most common symptom in a previously healthy person
- Double or blurred vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Changes in mood and personality
- Changes in ability to think and learn
- New onset of seizures
- Speech difficulty
- Memory problems
- Weakness on one side of the body
- Problems with language, concentration or coordination
- Drowsiness
What is the treatment?
Patients usually undergo surgery, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. But because the cancer resembles the threads of a spider’s web rather than a uniform mass, and it’s intertwined with delicate brain tissue, it’s almost impossible to get rid of.
“Brain tumors, particularly but not exclusively the malignant ones … are in such an eloquent area of the body that surgical intervention may not be possible and other interventions such as RT (radiation therapy) may come with a fierce price,” Dr. Henry S. Friedman, deputy director of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center, previously told NBC News.
Optune — a cap-like device that sends a low-dose electrical current through the brain — offers a survival advantage. But more advances are desperately needed in the field, which is behind the curve compared to other cancers, said Dr. Glenn Lesser, a neuro-oncologist at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Glioblastoma cells often develop resistance to treatment and continue to grow.
What is the prognosis?
There is no cure for glioblastoma and most patients survive for less than two years. About 10,000 people in the U.S. die from the disease every year and the grim statistics have been virtually unchanged for decades, the National Brain Tumor Society noted. But it urged patients and their families to have hope as science advanced rapidly.
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