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Spanish Music Iconic Singer Raphael Is Diagnosed With Brain Cancer
The recent announcement regarding the health of Raphael, an iconic Spanish singer, has raised significant concern among fans and the artistic community. After days of uncertainty, it has been confirmed that the singer is fighting brain lymphoma and currently undergoing medical treatment.
Raphael has been an influential presence in music for over sixty years. A living music legend who's won over Spanish-speaking audiences far beyond his home country of Spain with his music, variety shows, musical specials, and acting. The diagnosis of brain lymphoma has led many to inquire about the specifics of his illness and how he is coping with this challenging situation.
Raphael's Diagnosis: Primary Brain LymphomaAs reported by EFE, singer Raphael has been diagnosed with primary brain lymphoma. This rare type of lymphoma is a cancer that affects the lymphatic system's cells and develops directly within the brain. The illness has been detected in two specific nodules in the left hemisphere of his brain, requiring urgent treatment. Despite the seriousness of the diagnosis, physicians have assured that the singer is already receiving the necessary treatment. This treatment encompasses specialized therapies aimed at reducing the brain nodules and enhancing Raphael's overall health.
The 81-year-old artist ended up in the hospital on December 17 after having a stroke while working on a Christmas special for the TVE show "La Revuelta."
Raphael in concert The singer in a moment of a performance surrounded by some string musicians. His family, his pillar and strong support The recent news has been challenging for both the singer and his family, who have been providing updates to the media gathered outside the hospital. They are keeping everyone informed about the progress of the award-winning artist who has received the 'Gold Medal of Andalusia.' The latest visitor, Jacobo Martos, stated upon his arrival on Thursday that his father was doing "well" and that they hoped to learn today when the artist might be discharged: "Today they'll let us know and confirm if he's leaving tomorrow or not."
The family that Raphael and Natalia Figueroa formed—having married in July 1972 in Venice—is very close, and this has been demonstrated once more in recent hours. On the night of Tuesday, shortly after news of the artist's urgent hospitalization broke, their sons Jacobo and Manuel Martos were seen arriving at the hospital to support him and speak with the doctors. The wife of the ACE award winner for 'best concert of the year' has also been seen visiting him daily, along with Alejandra and their daughter, Manuela de Arenzana, who had recently accompanied her grandfather to collect an award.
Spanish singer Raphael with his wife, the writer and journalist Natalia Figueroa, Madrid, Spain, 1991. Raphael's 2025 tour has been canceledDue to his hospitalization, the concerts that Raphael was scheduled to perform at the WiZink Center in Madrid last week have already been canceled. On Thursday, his representation office, RLM, announced the cancellation of the Victoria 2025 tour through the following statement: "We regret to inform you that, on medical advice, the artist Raphael has been forced to cancel the concerts planned for early 2025 in the U.S., Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. In the coming months, Raphael will undergo specialized outpatient treatment for a recently diagnosed neurological condition. Consequently, his medical team has recommended a prolonged period of rest while he undergoes treatment. The promoter and official ticket sellers for each concert will contact buyers shortly to arrange ticket refunds."
Spanish singer Raphael performs in concert at the Palau de les Arts on November 19, 2015 in Valencia, Spain. Raphael's emergency transferOn Tuesday, December 17, around 7:30 PM, doctors were called to Teatro Príncipe de Gran Vía after Raphael began experiencing discomfort and exhibited incoherent speech during the recording of TVE's Christmas special for La Revuelta. The production team quickly summoned emergency assistance upon noticing that the renowned performer of hits like 'Escándalo' and 'Qué sabe nadie' was in distress.
The first medical update regarding the internationally acclaimed musical artist was issued by Clínico San Carlos Hospital in Madrid on December 18, confirming that a stroke was ruled out: "Patient Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez was transferred last night to Clínico San Carlos due to a speech issue, which could indicate a possible stroke. After several hours of urgent neurological evaluation, a stroke has been ruled out as the reason for his hospitalization. Nevertheless, additional tests are needed to ascertain the cause of his neurological condition. At the request of the patient and his family, he will be transferred to Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre for continued medical follow-up, as he has a history of transplants at this facility." Since the transfer to Clínico San Carlos, his family has remained actively involved, with his children and wife providing updates on his condition.
Spanish Singer Raphael Is Undergoing Brain Cancer Treatment, Pauses International Tour
Miguel Rafael Martos Sanchez, better known as Raphael, during the presentation of his album 'Ayer... Aun', at Universal's offices on November 22, 2024, in Madrid, Spain. Jesus Hellin/Europa Press via Getty Images
EspañolSpanish singer Raphael has been diagnosed with primary brain lymphoma while hospitalized at the 12 de Octubre University Hospital in Madrid, according to a report the medical center his manager shared with Billboard Español. Per the document, the "El Tamborilero" singer has begun treatment, which he will continue as an outpatient after he is discharged.
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The musician's medical team also noted in its report that Raphael has "two brain nodules in the left hemisphere that justify the neurological symptoms he presented a few days ago."
Related Benny Blanco & Selena Gomez Are in the Studio Together 01/17/2025According to the National Institutes of Health, primary central nervous system lymphoma "typically confined to the brain, eyes, and cerebrospinal fluid without evidence of systemic spread."
The singer's management office issued a statement on Thursday (Dec. 26) announcing the cancellation of Raphael's concerts for his Victoria 2025 tour planned for the early months of 2025, which included stops in the United States, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and Mexico. According to the statement shared with Billboard Español, this decision was made following the doctors' recommendation for a prolonged period of rest while Raphael undergoes outpatient treatment.
"With hopes for a speedy recovery, Raphael trusts that he will be able to resume his schedule and reunite with his audience soon," the statement noted, thanking fans for their support and noting that those with tickets for his upcoming concerts will soon be contacted about refunds.
According to Spanish news agency EFE, the 81-year-old — who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards — has been under the care of 12 de Octubre University Hospital since Dec. 18. Prior to that, he was at Clínico San Carlos for less than a day, after checking in due to feeling unwell while filming the TV show La Revuelta.
What Is Dark Zone Lymphoma, And Is It Clinically Relevant?
Dark zone lymphoma includes aggressive B-cell lymphomas with shared molecular features. While some respond to escalated treatment, others remain resistant, highlighting the need for targeted approaches to improve outcomes.
lymphoma, vector_master (pattern) - stock.Adobe.Com / cery (cell) - shutterstock.Com
DARK ZONE LYMPHOMA is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of aggressive B-cell lymphomas that share characteristic features with B cells from the dark zone of the germinal center. Although identified by gene expression profiling, approximately half of this group consists of established lymphoma entities that are routinely identified in clinical practice (ie, Burkitt lymphoma [BL] and high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements [HGBCL-DH-BCL2]), with these patients receiving escalated treatment in many centers. The remaining half of dark zone lymphomas have poor outcomes following standard frontline therapy and require gene expression profiling for identification because they are not currently detected with routine diagnostic tools.
Relating malignant lymphomas to their putative "cell of origin" has formed a fundamental basis of lymphoma classification. The concept of dark zone lymphomas represents a refinement of this framework to identify a subset of tumors that share features common to dark zone B cells.
The dark zone of the germinal center is formed by densely packed B cells that rapidly proliferate and modify their B-cell receptor before transiting to the light zone to test their newly formed antigen-binding capabilities. This testing occurs through interactions with follicular dendritic and T helper cells, which instruct B cells to differentiate and exit the germinal center or recycle to the dark zone to undergo further rounds of proliferation and B-cell receptor tuning, whereas cells failing to receive appropriate signals undergo cell death. As a result of the different functions associated with the dark and light zones, different cellular programs are active in each. Although light zone B cells are dependent on cell-cell interactions for survival, dark zone B cells rely on activation of key pathways to promote limited cycles of independent cell proliferation and survival prior to light zone reentry. In dark zone lymphomas, these pathways are hijacked to sustain autonomous proliferation.
The first molecular link between aggressive B-cell lymphomas and dark zone germinal center B cells was established when a gene signature for BL was found to share significant overlap with genes that are more highly expressed in dark zone B cells vs light zone B cells.1-3 This link was further solidified when a gene signature expressed by HGBCL-DH-BCL2 was similarly shown to share strong overlap with both the BL and dark zone B-cell signatures.4,5 This signature was initially called the "double-hit signature" but was renamed the dark zone signature (DZsig) to reflect how both HGBCL-DH-BCL2– and BL-derived signatures converge on a dark zone–like state. DZsig expression extends beyond these groups to include approximately 10% of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) and approximately 50% of HGBCLs, not otherwise specified.
Clinically, dark zone lymphomas share several characteristics, including a higher proportion of advanced-stage disease, bone marrow involvement, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. They also have a higher incidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement at diagnosis and a higher risk of CNS relapse, particularly in the BL group. Dark zone lymphomas with DLBCL morphology have poor outcomes following treatment with standard R-CHOP immunochemotherapy (ie, rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, and prednisone), whether they are HGBCL-DH-BCL2 or not. Although treatment escalation has been shown to improve outcomes in BL and HGBCL-DH-BCL2, it is uncertain how best to overcome the poor prognosis of the remaining dark zone lymphomas. Although there is diversity among dark zone lymphomas, highlighted by specific clinical features inherent to BL (eg, tumor lysis syndrome), we believe targeting the shared molecular vulnerabilities across the broader group is a pathway to improving patient outcomes.
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