Fafara reveals inoperable brain tumour discovered after vertigo collapse
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Dez Fafara, frontman of DevilDriver and Coal Chamber, has revealed for the first time that he has a tumour in his head, discovered around two years ago after he suffered a sudden bout of vertigo. Speaking publicly about it for the first time on Suicide Silence guitarist Chris Garza's podcast, Fafara explained that the vertigo episode left him incapacitated for almost a year and led to the postponement and eventual cancellation of a Coal Chamber tour at the time. The tumour is noncancerous, but its location makes surgery too dangerous to attempt for now.
Fafara said doctors need to see the growth increase in size before an operation would be safe, since removing it now risks damaging his speech and other faculties, so he undergoes check-up scans every six months. He credited a healthy diet, regular intermittent fasting (he was on a four-day fast at the time of the interview) and prayer with keeping the tumour stable, noting that at his most recent scan, a few months earlier, doctors found it had actually shrunk slightly.
- Dez Fafara reveals noncancerous but inoperable tumour in his head
- Discovered two years ago after a vertigo collapse
- Surgery too risky now; he gets scans every six months
- Says fasting and prayer have helped shrink it slightly
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Dez Fafara is best known as the frontman of the metal bands DevilDriver and Coal Chamber. He has now disclosed that he has a tumour in his head, first found around two years ago after he collapsed with severe vertigo, an episode that sidelined him for months and disrupted a Coal Chamber tour at the time.
The tumour is not cancerous, but its position in the brain means doctors consider surgery too risky to carry out under current circumstances, as removing it could damage his speech or other abilities. He is instead monitored with regular scans to check whether it changes in size before any operation could be considered.
Fafara chose not to make his condition public until now, saying he wanted to avoid affecting touring commitments and business arrangements. His decision to speak out, made on a podcast interview, brings wider attention to how the tumour has affected his health, career and daily routine over the past two years.
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Originally published by Consequence as “DevilDriver/Coal Chamber Frontman Dez Fafara Reveals He Has a Tumor in His Head”.