Duran Duran's Andy Taylor Gives Inspiring Health Update
Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor has an exciting update for his fans, several years after he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer.
The 62-year-old, who was "classified as palliative, end-of-life care” after his 2018 diagnosis, said he's now symptom-free in a new interview with The Times, per People, thanks to a targeted treatment with radioactive chemicals created by Welsh scientist Christopher Evan, of whom he says, “He’s a genius. I call him the Elon Musk of cancer.”
Despite the positive outcome, it hasn't been easy getting there. Each treatment makes the guitarist “radioactive for several days,” meaning he can't sleep next to his wife, Tracey Wilson, for two weeks, and he still has five more rounds to go.
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He's also had his ups and downs with his mental health as a result, telling the publication that he hit his lowest low shortly after being diagnosed, as the weight of his prognosis set in.
"You’re gonna have to say goodbye to your family. You’re not going to see your grandson’s tenth birthday," he recalled thinking. "Psychologically it’s mind-blowing — you can’t have therapy to remove the certainty of death.”
He kept all of that private until the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, when singer Simon Le Bon read a letter from Taylor to the audience when he couldn't be in attendance.
"Just over four years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. Many families have experienced the slow burn of this disease and of course, we are no different; so I speak from the perspective of a family man but with profound humility to the band, the greatest fans a group could have and this exceptional accolade," his words explained.
"I'm so very proud of these four brothers; I'm amazed at their durability, and I'm overjoyed at accepting this award," he added. "I often doubted the day would come. I'm sure as hell glad I'm around to see the day."
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