Posted by Rudy Sarzo on Friday, April 17, 2020
QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali has thanked his wife, doctors and fans for their help and support during his one-year battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Earlier today (Friday, April 17), Banali took to his social media to share the following message: "One year ago today on April 17th 2019 while at the emergency room I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer that had spread to my liver. The prognosis was six months to live. Today marks the one year anniversary.
"I have guarded optimism for the future while understanding that for this deadly cancer the survival rate is only 10% for 1 to 5 years. Nonetheless i am very grateful to be alive. Without my wife Regina Banali I wouldn't have made it this far. This is not an exaggeration, but rather the truth. Thank you for everything you do for me which is everything 24/7/365.
"My thanks to my multitude of doctors and nurses both at Kaiser & private clinics. Last, but certainly not least, to all of you for your messages of love & prayers which means the world to me. Believe me when I say this journey has not been easy. Together let's see where this road leads to."
Banali was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer after going to the emergency room for shortness of breath, leg pain and loss of energy. A scan of his lungs caught an image of his liver, which is where the first spots were seen. Then came the discovery of a tumor on his pancreas.
After diagnosis, Banali's wife, Regina, reached out to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's Patient Central for information about the disease and treatment options.
She learned about the Know Your Tumor precision medicine service PanCAN offers and was impressed with the comprehensive report the couple received after Banali's tumor was molecularly profiled.
"My wife has been an incredible support to me," Banali said. "She manages my treatment appointments, clinic visits… she's my biggest advocate. Plus, she made me aware of PanCAN and they've [PanCAN] become a huge resource for us."
He has been in treatment since the spring and recently completed his twelfth round of chemotherapy with the hopes of shrinking or controlling the cancer.
"Chemo is no joke," Banali told PanCAN staff during a surprise visit to the national headquarters. "Everything you've heard about it is true."
This past October, Banali revealed in a social media post that he had been battling the disease for six months, forcing him to miss several live shows with the band. He was replaced at those gigs by either Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE) or Mike Dupke (W.A.S.P.), depending on each musician's availability.
QUIET RIOT's shows last year with Kelly and Dupke marked the first time ever that the band performed without any of the members from its classic lineup: Banali, singer Kevin DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Rudy Sarzo.
Banali played his first show with QUIET RIOT since he announced his cancer diagnosis in October at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.
The drummer resurrected QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after the death of founding member DuBrow.
QUIET RIOT's latest studio album, "Hollywood Cowboys" was released in November via Frontiers Music Srl.
