Ronnie Wood's Secret Throat Cancer Battle: Surgery, Radiotherapy, and How He Hid It from the Stones

When Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017, he told almost no one — not even bandmates Mick Jagger or Keith Richards. He revealed the illness only to his wife Sally and his doctor. Wood later said he didn’t want to worry the band or derail an upcoming tour.

His treatment involved a combination of surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his vocal cords and five weeks of radiotherapy. He managed to keep it private by scheduling treatments between Stones commitments and maintaining his public appearances. By 2018, Wood was declared cancer-free, and he only confirmed the full story in interviews after recovering, admitting he played shows while secretly undergoing radiation.