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Travis Barker reveals he had ‘precancer of the esophagus’ prior to quitting smoking: ‘I only quit because I got diagnosed’
Travis Barker says a diagnosis of precancer of the oesophagus prompted him to stop smoking. The Blink-182 drummer said he had continued smoking heavily because he enjoyed it, and that a doctor he trusted warned him the diagnosis was a serious signal to quit.
Barker, 50, said he might not have stopped without that warning. He also recounted past opioid dependence, which he linked to anxiety about flying; he has said a near-fatal plane crash in 2008, in which three of his friends died, became his turning point. He previously described an 11-week hospital stay after the crash and said he disposed of his drugs after leaving hospital.
In short
- Barker says an oesophageal precancer diagnosis made him quit smoking.
- A trusted doctor described it as a warning to stop.
- He has also discussed overcoming opioid dependence after a 2008 plane crash.
Explained simply
Blink-182 is an American rock band, and Travis Barker is its drummer. The oesophagus is the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach; “precancer” describes abnormal changes in cells that may raise the risk of cancer but are not themselves cancer.
Barker has also spoken about opioid dependence, a condition involving harmful use of opioid medicines or drugs. He has linked his anxiety about flying to a 2008 plane crash that killed three of his friends and left him seriously injured.