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Rod Stewart reveals his prostate cancer battle — after winning it

Rod Stewart reveals prostate cancer battle
Rod Stewart was diagnosed with prostate cancer years ago, he said Saturday.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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Over the weekend in Britain, Rod Stewart decided tonight’s the night — to reveal he had successfully fought off prostate cancer.

“No one knows this, but I thought this was about time I told everybody,” the 74-year-old singer said Saturday while performing at a gala fundraiser for British charity the Prostate Project. “I’m in the clear now, simply because I caught it early.”

The diagnosis came a couple of years ago, the “Maggie May” singer said, urging men to go to the doctor and get tested. “Finger up the bum, no harm done,” Stewart joked.

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Ronnie Wood and others joined Stewart in concert at “An Evening With Kenney Jones & Friends,” a charity ball attended by 500 people at London’s fancy Wentworth Club.

Though Stewart said onstage he was diagnosed “two years ago,” he told the Mirror at the event that he learned about his cancer in February 2016 after a routine checkup and fought it in secret for three years.

When Rod Stewart is in residence in Los Angeles — which is to say, when he’s not on the road or in his native England or in Palm Beach, Fla., where he owns a third home about a mile up the beach from Donald Trump’s place — the 73-year-old rocker lives in a sprawling and lavishly appointed mansion in Beverly Park.

“Experience has shown what a big difference high-profile celebrities can make when they ‘come out’ about their cancer,” Prostate Project President Tim Sharp said in a statement, citing celebs including actor Stephen Fry. “We have no doubt that Sir Rod’s decision to announce his fight with the disease will be equally effective.”

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