Country star Doug Supernaw has revealed he is battling stage IV lung and bladder cancer.
The 58-year-old’s team revealed the news of his diagnosis in a post on Facebook on Saturday.
The singer – who shot to fame in the early ’90s with his number one hit I Don’t Call Him Daddy – was admitted to the hospital on January 25th after ‘struggling with a prolonged cough’ which was revealed to be pneumonia.
After doctors ran tests and found fluid in his heart and lungs, they found a ‘suspicious mass’ in his right lung.
Country star Doug Supernaw, 58 (pictured, 2017), revealed in a Facebook post on Saturday that he is battling stage IV lung and bladder cancer
The singer (pictured, 1994) was admitted to the hospital on January 25th after ‘struggling with a prolonged cough’ which was revealed to be pneumonia
Supernaw – who collaborated with the Beach Boys on their song Long Tall Texan – was transferred to another hospital in Houston for further examination.
‘It was at this hospital that his medical team confirmed several masses in his lungs, lymph nodes, bones, and bladder,’ the Facebook post reads.
‘The official diagnoses as of now is advanced, stage four, lung and bladder cancer.’
Lung cancer occurs when cells in the lungs begin to grow out of control and crowd out normal cells.
It is the leading cause of cancer death in the US for both men and women, claiming more lives that breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cancers combined.
The American Cancer Society estimates more than 228,000 cases will be diagnosed in 2019 and that more than 142,000 deaths will occur.
Symptoms don’t usually present themselves until the cancer is advanced and include a cough that doesn’t go away, coughing up blood, chest pain and bone pain.
Bladder cancer, which affects around 68,000 US adults each year, is more common in men than women.
It occurs when bladder cells grow abnormally and develop mutations that don’t divide and instead form tumors, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms typically include bloody urine, painful urination and pain in the pelvis.
After doctors ran tests and found fluid in Supernaw’s heart and lungs, they found a ‘suspicious mass’ in his right lung and sent him to another hospital in Houston where cancerous tumors were found in his lungs, lymph nodes, bones and bladder. Pictured: Supernaw in the 1990s, left, and in 2017, right
Supernaw has a show scheduled for February 17 as well as one in March and one in July, but it is currently unclear if he will be well enough to perform
The American Cancer Society states that the five-year survival rate for both Stage IV lung cancer and bladder cancer is five percent.
The Facebook post thanked Supernaw’s medical team, friends and fans for their support and asked for ‘heart-felt prayers’.
However, the musician’s team made another shocking admission: that Supernaw has no insurance to cover his medical bills.
‘We have had to cancel upcoming shows. Therefore there is no income coming in,’ a post on a GoFundMe page read.
‘Team Supernaw is asking for any donation, big or small, to help Doug and family get through this devastating time in their lives.’
So far, more than $2,400 has been raised out of a $10,000 goal.
Supernaw has a show scheduled for February 17 as well as one in March and one in July. However, it is currently unclear if he will be well enough to perform.