Hip-hop outfit the Beastie Boys have delayed their upcoming tour and album release after founding member Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer, the band said Monday.

In a video message posted on the band's website, Yauch, better known by his stage name MCA, told fans he was to undergo an operation next week after being diagnosed with cancer in a salivary gland.

The 44-year-old musician, who appeared alongside fellow member Adam Horowitz, said in the statement he had noticed a "little lump" in his throat around two months ago which he recently reported to his doctor.

"He sent me to a specialist and they did tests and I actually have a form of cancer in the parotid gland and a lymph node," Yauch said.

"I am going to have to have surgery next week and then after that have some radiation localized in that area."

Yauch said the cancer had been detected early and he was expected to recover from what he described as a "pain in the ass."

"The good news is that they did scans in my body and it's only localized in that one area, not in a place that affects my voice," he said.

"It's a little bit of a setback. It's a pain in the ass but it's something that's very treatable and in most cases they're able to get rid of it completely."

The Beastie Boys had been due to release their latest album 'Hot Sauce Committee Part 1' on September 15, 2009. The band had also scheduled seven concerts across the United States and Canada from July 31 and October 2.

AFP