Charles Kelley of the Grammy-winning country trio Lady A has announced he is battling cancer.
Kelley shared the news with fans via social media on Tuesday, Sept. 29, confirming he has been diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called multiple myeloma. Seated beside his wife, Cassie, Kelley said doctors discovered the disease from tests done following "random" broken ribs.
According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple myeloma is considered incurable, although it is treatable. The disease starts in plasma cells found inside bone marrow, making abnormal plasma cells grow uncontrollably. The resulting buildup can damage bones making them easier to break, while also affecting the immune system and potentially harming organs like kidneys.
Kelley said in the video
he has known the news since at least "last weekend," but feels "great."
"I'm young, I feel healthy, and the treatments … have come so far even in the past five years that life expectancy far exceeds what it used to be," he said. "I feel really hopeful right now."
Treatment options for multiple myeloma include chemotherapy and immunotherapy and stem cell transplant, according to Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. The American Cancer Society says many patients achieve complete remission.
Kelley went on to say his first six months of treatment should not be "too invasive," and that he still hopes to continue his country music career. That will include a "new record" with Lady A, and the trio's upcoming Christmas concerts.
"Physically I feel like myself," he said. "I'll have tough days but I wanna keep working … This is where I belong, and I need to be happy and doing what I love to do, and soaking up as much time with my family as I can as well. I'm hopeful. I really am."
His wife added that she is "grateful for a great care community here in Nashville," including "some really great doctors."
The Kelleys have two sons, Ward and Archer. Ward is 10 and Archer just turned 1 year old.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Charles Kelley of Lady A has cancer: "I feel really hopeful right now"
