The now-70-year-old musician received his cancer diagnosis after undergoing an endoscopy at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University Of Miami Health System and the Miller School of Medicine. Within a week, McBrain's cancer was surgically removed and he now gets check-ups every few months to make sure the cancer hasn't returned.

 

According to the web site of University Of Miami Health System, which spoke to Nicko about his cancer battle around the release of MAIDEN's latest album, "Senjutsu", the drummer decided to get himself checked out after noticed a change in his voice that could not be explained by a performance or touring.

 

David E. Rosow, M.D., FACS, director of the Division of Laryngology and Voice at the University of Miami Health System, who performed McBrain's endoscopy, said laryngeal cancer is extremely curable with excellent quality of life if it is caught early.

 

McBrain, who had the cancer in a part of his vocal cords, said: "I thoroughly recommend that anyone who may feel there is something different with their voice to go and get it checked out. And don't put it off. It was very good for me that I caught it in stage 1."

 

Nicko isn't the first member of MAIDEN to beat cancer. Back in late 2014, IRON MAIDEN's Bruce Dickinson was diagnosed with throat cancer. The singer, who had a golf gall-size tumor on his tongue and another in the lymph node on the right side of his neck, got the all-clear in May 2015 after radiation and nine weeks of chemotherapy.