Barry Manilow reveals cancer diagnosis after MRI: 'Pure luck' that it was 'found so early'
Singer-songwriter and music producer Barry Manilow announced Monday that he was diagnosed with cancer, saying it was "pure luck" that his doctors caught it early.
The "Copacabana" singer took to Instagram on Monday morning to share news of his diagnosis, describing how his doctors first discovered the illness.
"As many of you know I recently went through six weeks of bronchitis followed by a relapse of another five weeks," Manilow stated, saying that although he had since recovered and was back onstage, performing in Las Vegas, "my wonderful doctor ordered an MRI just to make sure that everything was OK."
"The MRI discovered a cancerous spot on my left lung that needs to be removed," he continued. "It's pure luck (and a great doctor) that it was found so early."
Medical guidelines generally recommend evaluating persistent or unexplained respiratory symptoms with imaging such as a chest X-ray or CT scan. However, further decisions about what tests to order will depend on a patient's age, risk factors, and clinical history.
Manilow said Monday that he will undergo surgery to have the cancerous spot removed.
"The doctors do not believe it has spread and I'm taking tests to confirm their diagnosis," he wrote. "So, that's it. No chemo. No radiation. Just chicken soup and I Love Lucy reruns.
Manilow said he would be rescheduling his January arena concerts as a result of his diagnosis, telling fans, "I'm very sorry that you have to change your plans."
"Just like you, we were all looking forward to the January shows and hate having to move everything around," he wrote.
The 82-year old ended his message on a high note, writing that he would be "counting the days until I return to my home away from home at the Westgate Las Vegas for our Valentine's weekend concerts on February 12-13-14 and throughout 2026."
"Something tells me that February weekend is going to be one big party!" he added
Manilow shared the new schedule for his arena shows in Monday's post. The rescheduled January dates -- which Manilow previously shared on Instagram back in September -- are now slated for late February, March, and April, and ticket holders will be able to use their existing tickets for the new dates.
The Grammy winner signed off his post on Monday with Christmas and New Year's wishes for his fans, along with a final message of caution.
"And remember, if you have even the slightest symptom... get tested!" he wrote.
Doctors agree that being attentive to symptoms matters and recommend starting with a conversation with a physician, who can help determine whether further evaluation or testing is appropriate.
According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., "accounting for about 1 in 5 of all cancer deaths."
"Lung cancer (both small cell and non-small cell) is the second most common cancer in both men and women in the United States (not counting skin cancer)," the organization states.
According to the American Cancer Society, "the chance that a man will develop lung cancer in his lifetime is about 1 in 17; for a woman, the risk is about 1 in 18."
"These numbers include both people who smoke and those who don't smoke," the group states, noting that "statistics on survival in people with lung cancer vary depending on the type of lung cancer, the stage (extent) of the cancer when it is diagnosed, and other factors."
Medical guidelines recommend lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan for certain high-risk adults, such as long-time current or former smokers, even if they have no symptoms.
Experts say screening decisions should be discussed with a health care provider.
ABC News has reached out to representatives for Manilow for comment.
Royson Valliyil, D.O., a critical care fellow at the Cleveland Clinic and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit, contributed to this story.
