Barry Manilow reflected on his \u201cnightmare\u201d lung cancer diagnosis in a story published Tuesday, saying it led to an even greater appreciation for life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t even know how long I had this thing sitting on me. It could have been years,\u201d the singer told People<\/a> in an exclusive interview. \u201cIf it had gone any further, then I would be up shit\u2019s creek. It just so happened that it hadn\u2019t spread, and boy oh boy, I thought I might be dying.\u201d <\/p>\n The \u201cCopacabana\u201d hit maker explained that his doctor ordered an MRI for him after he complained about hip pain in November. However, he also ordered an MRI for Manilow\u2019s lungs after learning the musician had recently faced two cases of bronchitis. That\u2019s when he found something.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he hadn\u2019t done that, man … He saved my life, because there\u2019s no symptoms for what I had. I could go on, nothing hurt \u2014 but they found the dot in my lung,\u201d the songwriter said. \u201cThey called me and said, \u2018Could be cancer.\u2019 That\u2019s a bad word. \u2018Not me. Fuck you. I can\u2019t have cancer.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n More tests confirmed Stage 1 lung cancer, Manilow said. Weeks later, he underwent a lobectomy to surgically remove the affected part of his lung. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t remember it, thank goodness, because it was a nightmare,\u201d Manilow said of his hospital stint, in which he spent seven days in the ICU, following the successful surgery. \u201cI\u2019m one of the lucky ones; I don\u2019t have to have chemo, radiation and all that stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n Manilow said his cancer diagnosis has left him feeling like he\u2019s \u201cnot all here.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cYou just don\u2019t even think about [how fragile life is]. And suddenly, you have lung cancer. But I\u2019m still here. I\u2019m not all here; there\u2019s part of me that isn\u2019t here \u2014 they took out a part of me, and now I\u2019ve got to figure out, \u2018What do I do?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n Manilow first announced that he was diagnosed with lung cancer<\/a> in a December 2025 Instagram post. <\/a><\/p>\n Later in his interview with People, the singer said beating cancer \u201creally made me take a stock of my life.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThis made me stop and think about: Have I done what I wanted to do, and have I made people happy? Have I been a good friend? All of those cornball things that I\u2019ve read for all of my life, I started to think about that, too. It really did stop me in my tracks,\u201d Manilow shared. \u201cAnd the answers are yes. And as a matter of fact, there are more yeses than I ever thought.\u201d<\/p>\n Manilow\u2019s story about his diagnosis comes ahead of the June release of his upcoming new album, \u201cWhat a Time.\u201d<\/p>\n