Andy Taylor of Duran Duran was getting end-of-life treatment after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
In 2018, the 62-year-old artist was diagnosed with incurable stage four prostate cancer and informed he required palliative care to make him comfortable at the end of his life.
Andy miraculously survived, and five years later his stage four cancer is ‘asymptomatic’ thanks to a breakthrough treatment that allows him to continue doing what he loves, including releasing a new record next month.
It’s an incredible turnaround for the guitarist, who was unable to attend Duran Duran’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of his comrades last year.
The star explained his almost miraculous recovery to The Times, explaining he ‘was classified as palliative, end-of-life care … and now I’m not, I’m asymptomatic.’
He met scientist Christopher Evans, who he described as the ‘Elon Musk of cancer,’ who provided him with a treatment specifically targeting cancer cells, and he received his first session two weeks ago.
However, the therapy is difficult since the intravenous delivery of radioactive substances renders him ‘radioactive’ for several days following.
When he was first diagnosed, he believes he was at his ‘lowest’ when he considered saying goodbye to his family.
‘Psychologically it’s mind-blowing — you can’t have therapy to remove the certainty of death.’
He kept his illness a secret for four years until Duran Duran presented a message from him to fans at the Hall of Fame induction.
While he is now looking forward, he has dismissed any ambitions to rejoin Duran Duran, saying, ‘I’m not going to rejoin the band.’
He did, however, say that he may be open to a part-time position if approached – ‘but, as I keep reminding people, you have to be asked.’
Andy was diagnosed with stage four metastatic prostate cancer in 2018, and his condition was defined as ‘incurable but not immediately life-threatening’.
In the 1980s, he rose to prominence as a member of the New Romantic musical group on their first three Platinum-selling albums.
Duran Duran had two UK number ones and 14 UK top ten singles during their peak, as well as 11 top ten albums.
