Bruce Dickinson’s battle with tongue cancer – signs of the disease to spot

Iron Maiden’s lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 after the band’s 20-stop Maiden England tour.

During a routine check-up just before Christmas that year, his doctor found something “a bit weird”. 

Talking about originally finding the cancerous tumours in a Sirius-XM radio interview, Dickinson said: “I had one golf ball-sized one in my tongue, and I had another one the size of a large strawberry or a small walnut in the lymph node in the right side of my neck, and that’s the one that felt a little strange.”

Following his diagnosis, a statement on Iron Maiden’s official website said the at the time 56-year-old musician has “extremely good” prognosis and is expected to make a complete recovery.

Fortunately, the singer completed a seven-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and received the all-clear in May 2015.

According to Cancer Research UK, tongue cancer describes a type of head and neck cancer where cells start to divide and grow in an uncontrolled way. 

There are two parts to your tongue – the oral tongue and the base of your tongue – and cancer can develop in either of those.

According to the charity, the following signs can ring alarm bells:

• Red or white patch on the tongue that won’t go away
• Sore throat that doesn’t go away
• Sore spot (ulcer) or lump on the tongue that doesn’t go away
• Pain when swallowing
• Numbness in the mouth that won’t go away
• Pain or burning feeling over the tongue
• Problems moving your tongue or speaking
• Lump in the neck
• Unexplained bleeding from the tongue (that’s not caused by biting your tongue or another injury)
• Pain in the ear (but this is considered to be a rare symptom).

While these symptoms don’t necessarily guarantee that you have tongue cancer, it’s “best” to get them checked by your GP, Cancer Research UK advises.

Dickinson added: “Guys should know, if you get a lump [on your tongue], and you’re over forty, don’t just assume antibiotics will get rid of it. 

“Go and properly get it checked out. It’s important.”

Despite getting rid of the cancer completely, the star’s journey to full health wasn’t easy.

In a previous interview, Dickinson said: “You can imagine to get rid of that with radiation – the inside of my head has been cooked pretty effectively.

“The things they have to do to your body to get rid of it are getting better and better and better as we go down the line.

“They did some nasty things to my body. 

“I’m lucky I’m completely clear of it and everything.”