On June 12th, 2022, Country star Toby Keith revealed to fans via Instagram that for the past six months, he had been undergoing surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy in order to fight against stomach cancer. Keith said that he was taking time to spend with family amidst the heartbreaking news and taking time in order to rest and recover from his new diagnosis fully.
In his Instagram post, the 60-year-old country singer did hint that he is eager to return to the stage, with the final line of his caption: “But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
Stomach cancer, or gastric cancer, accounts for 1.5% of all diagnosed cancers annually, according to Yale Medicine. Kiran Turaga, MD, MPH, division chief of surgical oncology for Yale Medicine, said that the early signs of stomach cancer could just look like average bodily functions such as heartburn or indigestion, so having possible cancer symptoms be assessed by a physician is crucial, especially if the patient has a family history of stomach cancer.
An update about his condition was provided by Keith during a November 2022 interview with CMT Hot 20 Countdown’s Cody Alan. He told Alan, “I’m thinking about getting back to fightin’ shape. I need a little bit of time to just rest up and heal up. It’s pretty debilitating to have to go through all that, but as long as everything stays hunky-dory, then we’ll look at something good in the future.”
Keith revealed in April 2023 that he would return to the Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic for its 19th year; the event is set up in support of OK Kids Korral, the cost-free home for families of children battling cancer.
Sources:
Toby Instagram Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cetq9XFLXJY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a40273857/toby-keith-stomach-cancer-diagnosis/
hollywoodlife.com/2023/04/18/toby-keith-health/
countrynow.com/toby-keith-announces-the-return-of-toby-keith-friends-golf-classic/
