The Cure keyboardist Roger O’Donnell reveals ‘aggressive’ blood cancer diagnosis

Musician said he ‘ignored the symptoms’ for several months before he underwent 11 months of treatment

The Cure keyboardist Roger O’Donnell has disclosed he has been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of blood cancer.

The 68-year-old said he had “ignored the symptoms for a few months” before a biopsy in 2023 showed he had a rare type of lymphoma.

London-born O’Donnell wrote on Instagram on Sunday: “September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month so it’s a good opportunity to have a dialogue about these diseases.

“In September last year I was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of lymphoma.

“I had ignored the symptoms for a few months but finally went for a scan and after surgery the result of the biopsy was devastating.”

He said he completed 11 months of treatment, under some of “the finest specialists in the world”. His treatment involved taking cancer drugs and undergoing immunotherapy followed by radiotherapy.

The keyboardist assured fans that he is “fine” and that his prognosis is “amazing”.

He continued: “The mad axe murderer knocked on the door and we didn’t answer.”

He added: “Cancer can be beaten but if you are diagnosed early enough you stand a way better chance, so all I have to say is go get tested, if you have the faintest thought you may have symptoms go and get checked out.

“Lastly if you know someone who is ill or suffering talk to them, every single word helps, believe me I know.”

Signing off, the musician thanked his partner Mimi, and his medical team.

The Cure during their induction into the Rock Walk in 2004 (Getty Images)

In another post shared hours after, O’Donnell smiled at the camera in a black-and-white picture, captioning it: “The hair isn’t out of choice hahahah,” possibly alluding to the loss of hair through his treatment.

O’Donnell had previously told fans that he had been unwell but simply disclosed he had a “serious health issue” when he was forced to pull out from performing in Mexico with the band in 2023.

According to Blood Cancer UK, symptoms can include unexplained weight loss and unusual bruising, breathlessness, rashes, extreme tiredness, chest pain, lumps and swollen glands.

The Cure, known for the tracks “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Friday I’m In Love”, have also played the Teenage Cancer Trust series of concerts.

Led by Robert Smith, the rock band was formed in Crawley, West Sussex, in the 1970s with O’Donnell joining in 1987. He had left the group on two occasions previously, in 1990 and 2005. But in 2011, he rejoined the band.

O’Donnell performing in May 2023 (Getty Images)

A previous drummer for the band, Andy Anderson, died aged 68 in 2019 after being diagnosed with cancer.

Current band members have long been teasing a new record, with the band’s frontman Robert Smith telling NME in 2022 that an album would be arriving “very soon”.

“It’s called ‘Songs Of A Lost World’. It’s got artwork, it’s got a running order, it’s almost done!” he said at the time.

O’Donnell previously described the unreleased album as the band’s “most intense” and “saddest” record to date.

Talking to Classic Pop magazine, he said: “Four years ago, I said to Robert, ‘We have to make one more record…it has to be the most intense, saddest, most dramatic and most emotional record we’ve ever made, and then we can just walk away from it.’ He agreed. Listening to the demos, it is that record. I think everybody will be happy with it.”

But he said that since their last album, 4:13 Dream, came out in 2008, the next release would be “precious”.

“The problem is, it’s 12 years since the last album so it becomes precious,” O’Donnell said at the time. “When you’ve got a back catalogue like The Cure, it’s a lot to live up to. Robert has said, ‘if The Cure say any more, it had better be important and it had better be fucking good’.

“It is, it’s going to be an amazing record. I just suggest a little patience,” he said at the time.

With additional reporting from PA.