EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting says that he has both science and the metal community to thank for his successful battle against squamous cell carcinoma of the stomach.
The 56-year-old drummer underwent a successful total gastrectomy of his stomach back in July of 2021 and discussed his experience in a new interview with Chile’s iRock.cl. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I’m so grateful to the metal community. It’s a powerful force to have those vibrations behind you.
“Thanks to science, the medical science, they can’t find any cancer in me right now,” he continued. “So that’s awesome. They did surgery [last] July the 12th, and I’m adjusting to a new lifestyle — a different type of relationship with food. But life is good. I don’t have to get any more chemotherapy ’cause they got it all. So that’s an awesome thing. They turned a bad situation around for me, so I’m very grateful.
“I don’t even know how to thank everybody,” Tom added. “There’s no words to say how important [everybody’s support] is. Fortunately, though, I get to live and say thanks to everybody.”
Hunting recently told the “Put Up Your Dukes” podcast that he wants to use his experience to help others going through similar battles with cancer.
“I’m not qualified now, but I think in a couple of more months, they deem me qualified to talk to other people about this disease, and I’m gonna do it,” he said. “‘Cause I want people to know about it and I want people to get checked. Just going public with it — I don’t do social media, but what I read on the EXODUS [sites] was, like, ‘Hey, I’m having gut problems too,’ and, ‘I’m gonna go get checked out now.’ I hope people get the answers they’re looking for.”
“I’m not saying those drugs that they give you for your gut are bad. They get you by. But if you’re having what you think is a gut problem, tell ’em you wanna get scoped. ‘Cause some of those scans and some of those tests, they won’t pick up what’s going on inside there.
“Since I’m on this journey, dude, they’re fucking scanning me constantly,” Tom added. “‘Cause they wanna see how I’m reacting to what they’re doing too. So it’s all part of the science and the evolution of the science. If they can help me live — and I love my life — and I can help them develop the science to help the next batch of people who you know are gonna get this shit, that’s a win-win.”
Hunting reclaimed his place behind the drum kit in EXODUS in early October at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California. John Tempesta had been filling in during his absence.
We love ya back Tom!