Toby Keith is sharing some good news with fans amid his battle with stomach cancer. A year after the country singer first went public with his health battle, Keith revealed while speaking with The Oklahoman backstage at the Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic pre-tournament gala on June 2 that his has shrunk by a third.
“I’m feeling pretty good. … I’m about another eight weeks from my last scan. So, I expect next time I look for that tumor to be even less – and I’ve only got one that’s shown up,” the “Beer for My Horses” singer told the outlet. “Basically, everything is in a real positive trend. You never know with cancer, so you have to prepare.”
The singer shared that he is currently continuing chemotherapy treatment and is also taking immunotherapy and working with a nutritionist, Keith explaining, “They put oxygen in your blood. They give you high doses of vitamin C and good vitamins and nutrient bag you up to where you feel better. And you can start trying to heal your body. Now, they’re trying to fight where the cancer backs up and says, ‘Oh, you’re fighting that tumor? We’re gonna remorph and turn into this kind of cancer.’ … So, while they (the cancer cells) are in the bullpen regrouping, we’re trying to kill ’em with something different.”
Keith, 61, first revealed his stomach cancer diagnosis last June. In a statement shared to Instagram, the country superstar told his fans that he was diagnosed in fall 2021 and had “spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation, and surgery.” Keith added, “so far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax. I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
In the year since revealing his diagnosis, the singer has only shared one other update regarding his health. In December 2022, the “Red Solo Cup” singer expressed a desire to hit the road and perform again, telling CMT Hot 20 Countdown, “I need a little bit of time to just rest up and heal up. It’s pretty debilitating to have to go through all that, but as long as everything stays hunky-dory, then we’ll look at something good in the future.”
With Keith now “feeling better” and his tumor shrinking, Keith told The Oklahoman that he hopes to tour again soon. Keith said he now has “more wind” and he is “thinking about bringing the band in and setting up, playing two or three days somewhere just to see if I can get through two hours.” The country sooner said if he is able to, he’ll be “out on the road this fall. 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. I’m ready. That’s living.”
Toby Keith Health Update: Country Singer’s Tumor Has Shrunk
