Gord Downie's 'incurable' brain cancer won't keep him from singing, his doctor says

Gord Downiesuffers from an aggressive form of brain cancer known as glioblastomathat's incurable,but should not rob the Tragically Hip frontman of his ability to sing,his doctor said today in Toronto.

Newsthe Canadiansinger, lyricistand performerunderwent surgery andsix weeks of chemotherapy and radiation came from hisneuro-oncologist,Dr. James Perry, onTuesday morning,hours afterfans learned Downie hasthe disease.

The type of tumour is known as a primary cancer which means it originates in the brain rather than having spread there, Perry explained duringa news conference at Sunnybrook Hospital.

Glioblastomais one of the most common causes of cancer deathin Canadiansbetween 40 and 60 years old.

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This form of cancer spreads quickly, as it's composed of many different types of cells, all fed by the brain's complex network of blood vessels.

"These primary brain tumours are infiltrative by nature so they're impossible to completely remove by surgery [and] they frequently recur," the neuro-oncologist said. "It is my difficult duty today to tell you that GordDownie's brain tumour is incurable."

Downieunderwentsuccessfulsurgery this winter that cut away the majority of the malignanttissue, Perry said.

Tests on the cancerous cells later revealed a small causefor hope: biomarkersindicate that Downie's type of glioblastoma will respond better "to treatment than most," Perry said. These proteins predict a longer-term chance ofsurvival, althoughit will notchange the disease'seventual outcome.

Seizure sparked hospital trip

A seizure last winter gave the only hint ofillness for Downie, who has penned many of the Tragically Hip's Canada-inspired and award-winning music.

Downiecollapsedwhile walking down the sidewalk on a trip to his hometown of Kingston, Ont., his band managers, BernieBreen and Patrick Sambrook, told reporters at Sunnybrook. That prompted a trip to theemergency room,andscans revealed the cancer.

Now, the singer's primary symptoms are fatigue, his doctor said, owing both to illness and the radiation and chemotherapy he completed a month ago. Downie will likely need more "maintenance chemotherapy," but an MRI scan last week showed the tumour had responded to treatment, Perry said.

"The swelling in his head and left temporal lobe area has decreased substantially," he said. "The amount of tumour ... has clearly shrunk and he is doing very well."

Plans to tour

Despite the diagnosis,the band, founded in Kingston, Ont., in 1983,stillplansto go on the roadthis summer.

That coincides with the release of the Hip's latest album,Man Machine Poem, which holds an eeriesense of foreshadowing, especially the first single, In a World Possessed by the Human Mind.

"Just give me the news.It can all be lies," the song begins. "Exciting over fair, or the right thing at the right time."

But the albumwas written and recorded before Downie knew of his illness, the band says. The singer has since, however, found solacein returning to the studio himself.

The tumour, lodged in the left temporal lobe, interferes with the area of the brain that controls both speech and short-term memory. But Perry explained that lyrical memory which controls the ability to sing and remember songs are stored differently, and he said he did not anticipate any problems in those areas.

Neither Downie, a father of four, nor the othermembers of the Hipattended the Sunnybrook news conference.