Alaska country singer to begin treatments

WASILLA, Ala., Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Alaska country music singer Ken Peltier says he has cancer that may cost him his voice,

In December, he was diagnosed with throat and neck cancer. Doctors removed Peltier's tonsils and 47 lymph nodes from the left side of his neck. On Monday, he begins a course of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday.

Despite his diagnosis, Peltier, 37, is still making music.

"I'm writing a song: 'Even My Hair Left Me,'" joked Peltier, who said he wanted to finish his third album before his chemo and radiation treatments began.

"I wanted it done," he said. "That would be a big stress on me, sitting in the chair and thinking, 'That's half done. I might not ever complete it.'"

Peltier has kept his day job. He serves as statewide training administrator for the International Union of Operating Engineers, overseeing the same apprentice programs he started out in.

Dr. Richard Chung, Peltier's radiation oncologist, said head and neck cancers are relatively uncommon and are "one of the hardest cancers that we treat" because treatment gives patients so many side effects, including trouble swallowing.

About 50,000 cases of head and neck cancer are reported in the United States every year, the newspaper said.