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Toby Keith Gives Cancer Update And Is Hoping To Return To The Road

Toby Keith Gives Cancer Update
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Toby Keith has recently issued a health update and a glimpse into his current condition after a full year and a month since he first revealed to fans that he has been battling stomach cancer.

On June 2, the country star graced the pre-tournament gala for the Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic. It was a charity event to raise money for Toby Keith Foundation’s OK Kids Korral, which provides safe, convenient, cost-free daytime and overnight lodging for pediatric cancer patients and their families.

In an interview during the event, the country singer revealed that he’s feeling “pretty good” and that “everything is in a real positive trend.”

Toby said, “I’m about another eight weeks from my last scan. So, I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less.” Keith’s tumor has actually decreased in size by a third, and the result of his blood work continues to improve.

Toby Keith Hopes To Take His Hits Back On The Road Soon

While Toby Keith admits that his cancer can be pretty unpredictable, he has more energy and “more wind.” He also looks forward to returning onstage. Keith even said he wants to tour again by the end of the year or as early as this fall.

The “I Love This Bar” singer revealed that he’s thinking of playing a two or three days show someplace with his band and see if he can go through full-length shows again. “All I gotta do is see if I can get through two or three nights of work and get a little break in this chemo, and we’ll go back to work,” he said. “I’m ready. That’s living.”

Keith first opened up about his diagnosis in June 2022 through a social media post. He also revealed that he had already received chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery for six months. A few months later, he admitted his cancer was “pretty debilitating” but is optimistic about the future – “as long as everything stays hunky-dory,” he noted.

Today, Keith is still undergoing chemotherapy, getting the help of a nutritionist, and doing immunotherapy – where they put oxygen in the blood and give high doses of Vitamin C and other essential vitamins.

All these challenges are not stopping Keith from releasing a new EP. On May 26, the country star dropped a six-song EP called America in celebration of Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. 

It featured six of his biggest and most patriotic hits – including the patriotism-forward classics such as “American Soldier” and “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American).”

Well, we definitely can’t wait for Toby Keith to get back onstage. We’d surely be in the front row the moment that would happen.

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