Barry Manilow, 82, Shares Health Update After Cancer Diagnosis & Surgery

Barry Manilow, 82, just shared a health update after he was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery.

In December 2025, Manilow announced his cancer diagnosis via Instagram, also canceling several shows because of his health.

The “Copacabana” singer opened up about his journey with Stage 1 lung cancer during an interview with People published on Tuesday, March 24. In November, Manilow said he went to a doctor after his hips started bothering him.  The physician not only ordered an MRI for his pelvis but also for his lungs when he learned the “Mandy” singer had recently battled bronchitis twice.

“If he hadn’t done that, man … He saved my life, because there’s no symptoms for what I had,” he told the publication. “I could go on, nothing hurt — but they found the dot in my lung. They called me and said, ‘Could be cancer.'”

Ultimately, Manilow was diagnosed with Stage 1 lung cancer.

“They don’t even know how long I had this thing sitting on me. It could have been years,” he explained. “If it had gone any further, then I would be up s***’s creek. It just so happened that it hadn’t spread, and boy oh boy, I thought I might be dying.”

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A month later, Manilow underwent a lobectomy to remove the cancerous part of his left lung. After spending a week in the ICU, he was discharged. The singer admitted that he’s “one of the lucky ones,” as he does not have to do chemotherapy or radiation.

“You just don’t even think about [how fragile life is],” he told People. “And suddenly, you have lung cancer. But I’m still here. I’m not all here; there’s part of me that isn’t here — they took out a part of me, and now I’ve got to figure out, ‘What do I do?'”

Today, things are looking up. Manilow is cancer-free. His new song “Once Before I Go” also became a top 10 single in March. Additionally, Manilow announced his 33rd studio album, What a Time, his first in nearly 15 years.

“This really rocked me,” he concluded of his cancer journey. “But I’m getting stronger.”