Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has undergone cancer treatment for a small tumor at the back of his tongue, the band revealed today via their official website and Facebook page.

The heavy metal frontman was diagnosed with cancer around Christmas time last year and yesterday completed a seven-week course of chemotherapy and radiology treatment. Reports are that because the tumor was caught early on, Dickinson’s prognosis is “extremely good,” with his doctors expecting him to make a full recovery by late May. The energetic frontman will then need an additional few months to “get back to full fitness.”

Here’s the full statement from the page, via their Facebook page:

This news is obviously a shock to fans of Iron Maiden and Dickinson (including myself), who, in his decades-long career, has transcended the role of typical heavy metal frontman. The 56-year-old singer joined the legendary metal outfit in 1981 and made his debut with them on their seminal third album, 1982’s The Number of the Beast. Songs like “Run To The Hills” and the title track were instant stand-outs, propelling the band from members of the obscure New Wave of British Heavy Metal to stardom and great commercial success. This was no small feat, considering that Dickinson was replacing former vocalist Paul Di’Anno, who had appeared on the band’s first two albums. Dickinson, who had previously been in the band Samson, went on to record on Iron Maiden’s best albums — Piece Of Mind (1983), Powerslave (1984), and what is probably the best heavy metal live album of all time, recorded during the famous “World Slavery Tour,” 1985’s Live After Death (the concert video was also released on DVD). After a solo stint in the 1990s, Dickinson returned to the Iron Maiden fold for the well-received 2000 “comeback” album Brave New World and has been with the band, touring the world and continuing to sell out arenas ever since.

Along with being, hands-down, one of the greatest metal singers of all time, as well as an amazing on-stage showman, multi-platinum-selling music artist, and songwriter, Dickinson has also achieved great strides outside the music world, such as in aviation, fencing, radio, and writing. The accomplished airplane pilot has flown for commercial airlines and famously flew his band and crew around the world for their tour on the Ed Force One customized Boeing 747, as documented in the concert video Iron Maiden: Flight 666. Aside from using his flying skills for work and play, he also volunteered his services to fly a group of British RAF pilots home from Afghanistan in 2008 and also in 2006 to airlift 200 British citizens home to the UK from war-torn Lebanon, amongst other humanitarian efforts. (Also, see the airline safety video he made back in 2011.)

All of us here at Geeks Of Doom want to sent Bruce Dickinson healing vibes and our well wishes for a smooth and speedy recovery.

Up the Irons!

\m/\m/

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram.