The details regarding musician Jimmy Buffett’s four-year cancer battle are surfacing.
Buffett’s website revealed that Buffett was diagnosed with Merkel cell skin cancer and didn’t publicize it. He played through his treatment, performing most recently in July.
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His family is requesting donations to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute or MD Anderson Cancer Center instead of flowers. Buffett was 76 when he died at his Sag Harbor, Long Island, home surrounded by family and friends.
The type of cancer he had develops in the outermost layer of skin where the Merkel cells are found. It “most often develops in older people,” according to the Mayo Clinic. On average, the five-year relative survival rate for Merkel cell carcinoma is 65%, according to the American Cancer Society.
This type of skin cancer affects 1 in 130,000 Americans every year, which is about 2,000 diagnoses annually.
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“Margaritaville,” Buffett’s hit song from 1977, quickly took on a cultlike following. He became famous for his music about easy and laid-back beach living.
Buffett is survived by his wife Jane, daughters Savannah and Sarah, and son Cameron.
