Poison Drummer Rikki Rockett Recalls Near-Tongue Removal Amid Cancer Battle

Poison drummer Rikki Rockett has revealed the harrowing extent of his battle with HPV-related throat cancer, including preparing to record messages for his children in the event doctors had to remove his tongue. The possibility of losing his tongue loomed after chemotherapy and radiation treatments failed to stop the disease.

"I was recording pieces of information for my kids so they could watch it, because the next step was to cut my tongue out if they had to," Rockett told Fox News Digital. "And I wanted them to know what I sounded like and my advice to them growing up, and I wanted them to hear it from me. I wanted them to understand what I was, what I thought I was or would become."

Rockett, born Richard Allan Ream, experienced a persistent sore throat and a swollen lymph node for over a month in 2015. While his family, who also developed sore throats, recovered after being prescribed antibiotics, his symptoms continued. A doctor's examination revealed a suspicious growth at the base of his tongue, leading to a biopsy and his subsequent cancer diagnosis.

The cancer progressed to stage 4, and Rockett underwent radiation five days a week and chemotherapy weekly for three months, but the treatment was unsuccessful. During this period, his weight dropped significantly, and he struggled to consume solid food, subsisting on liquids and shakes. His memoir, "Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison," details the emotional impact of his illness, including his son witnessing his tears while trying to eat soup.

With conventional treatments failing, doctors discussed surgically removing Rockett's tongue, a prospect he feared would significantly shorten his life. "I would've most likely had a feeding tube," he said. "I don't think I would've lived much longer. It would've added another year or two. Some people do make it. Some people get all of that done and live for a long time. But I think a lot of times, with the way it was going with me, I don't think I would've survived, quite honestly."

Rockett then opted for an experimental drug combination at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. This treatment, involving pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and epacadostat, proved effective. By July 2016, Rockett was declared free of throat cancer. He noted that his first PET scan showed 90% of the cancer was gone, with complete remission by the second scan.

However, his health challenges were not entirely over. Approximately eight months into his cancer treatment, Rockett developed high white blood cell counts, which led to the discovery of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This diagnosis, linked to the Philadelphia chromosome, initially alarmed Rockett, who had just battled another form of cancer. He was prescribed new medication for the CML, which he continues to take despite its side effects. This treatment has kept the CML in 100% remission for several years.

Now cancer-free for a decade, Rockett acknowledges the lasting effects of his treatment, including dry mouth due to radiation damage to his salivary glands. Despite these challenges, he remains active with his band, Rockett Mafia, and cherishes the time he has with his children, a primary motivation during his fight. "Sometimes my voice gets rough, or I get dry," he said. "I get very dry because my salivary glands got toasted with the radiation. But I’m cancer-free, and I’ve been cancer free for 10 years."

Rockett emphasized the importance of his medical team in saving his life and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to witness his children grow up. "A big part of it was fighting for my kids," he reflected. "There’s no question that was a big chunk of my fight."