TRIUMPH's RIK EMMETT Completes Radiation Treatment For Prostate Cancer

In a new interview with WNST and Baltimore Positive founder Nestor Aparicio, TRIUMPH guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett was asked if he can foresee himself ever going back on the road again. He responded: "I am a guy that wrote a song that said 'never say never', and, and I do find it dangerous to take a really big paintbrush and paint brushstrokes, but I should tell you, I've been struggling with some arthritis in my hands, and that's changing things. I don't know how much it will."

He continued: "I've gone through a sort of a cancer treatment. Now I'm sort of trying to deal with this advent of rheumatoid arthritis, and I don't know how much it's gonna knock a hole in my ability to [play]. So certainly going out on the road and traveling and hotels and airports, that does seem like a grind to me. And I've gotta admit, my wife has been patiently sitting around for decades waiting for, 'Hey…' She's gonna go on a safari — she's going to like Kenya and Nairobi this year. I'm not going with her. That's not my idea of fun."

On February 5, Rik revealed that he had just completed radiation treatment for prostate cancer. He added in a social media post: "For you gentlemen out there north of age 45-50, please do yourself a favor and get checked. If you catch it early, there's an excellent chance it can be treated; and treatment doesn't always have to mean surgery or chemotherapy either. Consider this a PSA to get your PSA checked!"

Emmett went public with his prostate cancer battle last November, telling John Beaudin of RockHistoryMusic.com: "I have to take medications and stuff. I've just had another biopsy done. I'm gonna find out in a couple of weeks whether or not it's gonna have to come out or stay. Men my age, everybody should be getting checked regularly. You've gotta try and stay ahead of it. And I am ahead of it. But my dad had it for, like 20 years at the end of his life. I'm hoping I've just got that slow-growing kind of…

"There's a statistic — I think it's like 80 percent of men's bodies when they're old, when they do autopsies, they have some form of prostate cancer," the 70-year-old Emmett, who was promoting his then-just-released memoir, "Lay It On The Line - A Backstage Pass To Rock Star Adventure, Conflict And Triumph", explained. "It's just if you live long enough, you're probably gonna get it. So it doesn't freak me out. It would freak me out if somebody sat me down and said, 'Yeah, it's moved. We're finding it in other places now.' 'Cause I've been there with my brothers and my mom. And you go 'Well, that's not good. How much time have I got?'"

Although prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer found in men and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in men, it can also be one of the most treatable forms of cancer.

If elevated PSA (prostate-specific antigen) is identified early, there are treatment options that have been shown to extend survival. It is important for men to be informed about different treatment options and their side effect profile so that they can have educated treatment conversations with their doctor.

On average, approximately one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime.

Both JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE bassist Tim Commerford have spoken out publicly about their prostate cancer battles.

Emmett, who quit TRIUMPH — acrimoniously, in 1988 — over music and business disputes, went on to pursue a solo career, while TRIUMPH carried on with future BON JOVI guitarist Phil X for one more album, 1992's "Edge Of Excess", before calling it a day the following year.

Emmett was estranged, both personally and professionally, from the two other members of the legendary Canadian classic rock power trio for 18 years before they repaired their relationship.

"Lay It On The Line - A Backstage Pass To Rock Star Adventure, Conflict And Triumph" came out on October 10 via ECW Press.

Gil Moore (drums),Mike Levine (bass) and Emmett formed TRIUMPH in 1975, and their blend of heavy riff-rockers with progressive odysseys, peppered with thoughtful, inspiring lyrics and virtuosic guitar playing quickly made them a household name in Canada. Anthems like "Lay It On The Line", "Magic Power" and "Fight The Good Fight" broke them in the USA, and they amassed a legion of fiercely passionate fans. But, as a band that suddenly split at the zenith of their popularity, TRIUMPH missed out on an opportunity to say thank you to those loyal and devoted fans, a base that is still active today, three decades later.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Levine and Moore played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

Back in 2016, Moore and Levine reunited with Rik as special guests on the "RES 9" album from Emmett's band RESOLUTION9.