Rock singer reveals symptom that led to cancer diagnosis: ‘Something wasn’t right’

Rock singer Ryan Hamilton has been sharing updates with fans since his recent cancer diagnosis, and he returned on recently with a long story about his ordeal.As part of that he revealed in a Substack post the major symptom he had that sent him to the hospital and led to his diagnosis. “A few weeks ago, I thought I had a stomachache,” he wrote. “Turns out, I have cancer.”Hamilton said he had severe abdominal pain. “Bad enough that I knew something wasn’t right,” he said. The singer said he drove himself to the emergency room in Granbury, Texas, with his young daughter, Della, in the backseat. Once there, he said, doctors made an alarming discovery.“At the emergency room, they discovered that my spleen was enormous,” he wrote. “Not a little enlarged. Not something they’d keep an eye on. ENORMOUS. The doctors told me they had rarely, if ever, seen a spleen that size. They don’t understand how it didn’t rupture. Had it ruptured, I probably wouldn’t be writing this.”Hamilton said that blood tests showed he had a white blood cell count of 300,000 when it was supposed to be around 5,000.The singer was eventually diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma in leukemic form.Hamilton said that it is rare. Hamilton also announced that he has launched a GoFundMe to help pay for the expensive treatment ahead. He also explained how things were touch-and-go in the hospital for more than a week, but he did recover enough to return home, and he shared that update on Facebook last Wednesday.“I. Am. HOME,” he wrote. “Sorry for the lack of updates (I know people are worried). It takes a small pharmacy to keep me upright/alive. But I am hell bent on beating this cancer. Cancer? It still doesn’t feel real to say it. Moving forward I am going to need your support more than ever. It’s going to be a long road. But I am SO THANKFUL for all the love, support, messages etc. There was a time, just a week or 2 ago, when I wasn’t sure if I’d still be here. BUT HERE I AM. For Della. For my family & friends. For myself … and all of you. Let’s kick this cancer’s ass, shall we?”It was his first update since sharing the bad news of his true diagnosis. “After more testing & a bone marrow biopsy my diagnosis has changed to Mantle Cell Lymphoma,” he wrote on Facebook. “Slightly different, & maybe a little more challenging, but with a similar treatment plan. I’ve had a couple of rounds of chemo here in the hospital, which is doing what it needs to do. “They have decided to keep me here for 7-10 more days,” he continued. “I will continue to receive treatment. Then I will begin an outpatient treatment plan, chemo etc … & I’ll have to take a pill for the rest of my life. I am VERY lucky to be alive, & it was very touch & go for a few days there. Feeling incredibly grateful to still be here, & to have all of the incredible support. THANK YOU. Please keep all of the comments, messages, prayers etc coming. It’s really lifting my spirits. I love you all.”He first announced on Sept. 20 that he was fighting leukemia. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” Hamilton wrote. “I know a lot of people are concerned. My official diagnosis is: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). I have finally been moved out of ICU (thank the Lord) and can now start the plan of action for treatment moving forward. “Looks like you’re all going to have to put up with me for at least a little bit longer,” he added. “Please keep all of the prayers, messages, good vibes etc … coming. I see them all and it helps so much. Love – Ryan.”The singer first shared a photo from his hospital bed on Sept. 15. “Friends, I have cancer,” he wrote. “THANK YOU for all the kind words & support. I love you all. That feels important to say … I love you.“I will update everyone when I know more,” he added. “But as of now, I will be kept in the hospital ICU for the next several days.”He returned to social media on Sept. 17 with another photo from a hospital bed. “Update & prayer request: Still in ICU,” he wrote. “Waiting on the final test/biopsy results, which will (obviously) determine what the rest of my life will look like. Should know today or tomorrow. Please pray for a result that means I can live a long life for Della. Can ask you all to pray for that. “Cancer at 45. Can’t believe it.”Hamilton is known for his work with Ryan Hamilton & The Traitors and Ryan Hamilton And The Harlequin Ghosts. He was featured in Spin MagaMagazine’s “35 Best Lesser Known Artists of the Past 35 Years” in 2020. He has also released several solo albums. Hamilton stepped away from music in 2024 after he found his wife suffering from a miscarriage on their bathroom floor. The Texas native has since devoted much of his attention to activism around abortion rights because his wife was denied surgical care and sent home by multiple hospitals.