The singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, one of the UK’s most notable and celebrated songwriters, has cancelled recent tour dates due to a cancer diagnosis. He was diagnosed with “a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy.” Costello said, “Six weeks ago my specialist called me and said, ‘You should start playing the Lotto.’ He had rarely, if ever, seen such a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery.”

His doctor say that he will need about three to four weeks to recover. Even so, Costello began the tour and played across Europe. However, his doctor has advised him to cancel the rest of his tour dates. He has begun treatment and has decided to cancel tour dates in order to recover.

Costello also said that now he has to “accept that it is going to take longer than I would have wished for me to recover my full strength.” He has apologized to fans and has promised refunds to those who have bought tickets to the cancelled tour dates.

In light of this diagnosis, Costello made a statement to the fans, “Gentlemen, do talk to your friends—you’l find you are not alone—seek your doctor’s advice if you are in doubt or when it is timely and act as swiftly as you may in these matters. It may save your life. Believe me, it is better than playing roulette.”

In other good news, Costello has announced a “magnificent new record of which we are truly proud.” This new record has been recorded with his band, The Imposters, and is set to be released in October. This will be his first release and collaboration since 2013.