Lady A’s Charles Kelley Has Been Diagnosed With a Rare Blood Cancer

Charles Kelley, who is one-third of the country group Lady A, has been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma.

The singer announced the news in a video posted to social media, with his wife Cassie by his side. He said he's optimistic about his treatment and his care team, and hopes to continue to work and perform as much as possible as he undergoes treatment.

"Right now I feel great," Kelley told fans.

"Even going out [on stage] last weekend, even after knowing the news, I was like, 'This is where I belong.' I need to be happy and doing what I love to do," he continued, "and spending and soaking up as much time as I can with my family as well. But I'm hopeful. I really am."

How Did Lady A's Charles Kelley Get His Cancer Diagnosis?

Kelley says that a couple of "random rib fractures" prompted his doctors to order blood tests, and one revealed evidence of multiple myeloma.

Read More: Country Stars Who Have Battled Cancer

According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple myeloma is a form of cancer that occurs in plasma cells and builds up within bone marrow. Symptoms include bone pain, easily-broken bones, fatigue and frequent infections. Common forms of treatment include chemotherapy, immunotherapy and medication.

It's currently considered to be incurable, though advanced treatments can put this form of cancer into long-lasting remission

Between 2016 and 2022, the five-year survival rate for multiple myeloma was about 64 percent. Still, that doesn't necessarily indicate a specific patient's outcome, and Kelley says he's feeling optimistic about his treatment plan.

"I'm young. I feel healthy. And the treatments, I will just say, have come so far even in the past five years that life expectancy far exceeds what it used to be," he said. "I don't know, I feel really hopeful."

Will Charles Kelley Continue to Perform With Lady A During Cancer Treatment?

The singer plans to continue to perform. Though his disease will require an extensive period of treatment, he says he's hopeful that he'll still continue to work and make music.

"We've got a record coming out soon with Lady A, and then we've got Christmas shows," Kelley relates.

"This first six months of treatment I believe is not gonna be too super invasive. I can still work. I think physically I will feel like myself," he continues. "I'll have tough days, but, you know, I wanna keep working."

Read More: Charles Kelley Shares How Far He's Come in Sobriety With Powerful Before and After Photo

The singer also likened his cancer journey to his journey with sobriety, the latter of which he has shared openly with fans over the past few years.

"In sobriety, it's all about one day at a time, and that we're not in control, so that's the way we're looking at it," he noted.