Megadeth's Dave Mustaine diagnosed with throat cancer; band cancels 2019 shows

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dave Mustaine, lead singer and guitarist for the heavy metal band Megadeth, has been diagnosed with throat cancer, forcing the band to cancel most of its 2019 shows, he said on Monday.

Megadeth had been scheduled to perform this year in Milwaukee, Las Vegas, Buenos Aires and other cities in North and South America.

"I'm working closely with my doctors, and we've mapped out a treatment plan which they feel has a 90% success rate," Mustaine said in a statement on Facebook. "Treatment has already begun."

Megadeth, which was formed in 1983 and helped pioneer a style called thrash metal, reached the height of its popularity in the late 1980s and 1990s with albums such as "Countdown to Extinction" and "Youthanasia." Mustaine is known for his shredding, a fast style of rock lead guitar playing.

Mustaine, 57, and his bandmates were in the studio working on a follow-up to their 2016 album "Dystopia," the singer said, adding he could not "wait for everyone to hear" it.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)