Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker shares health scare wake-up call that forced him to quit smoking
Travis Barker has opened up about the terrifying health scare that finally forced him to give up smoking for good, revealing he was diagnosed with "precancer of the esophagus."
Speaking on the Big Bro with Kid Cudi podcast on Wednesday, November 11, the 50-year-old Blink-182 drummer joined Kid Cudi for a candid conversation about sobriety and the specific turning point that made him drop his longtime habit.
“I only quit because I got diagnosed with precancer of the esophagus. I loved blunts and I would smoke too much,” Barker explained, recalling how he immediately asked his physician whether the condition was serious.
“He’s like, ‘This is your warning shot. Don’t f--- around. You’ve got to stop smoking,’” Barker said.
What is Pre-cancer of the esophagus?
In medical terms, precancerous changes in the esophagus—often associated with conditions like Barrett’s esophagus or dysplasia—occur when chronic irritation damages the normal lining of the food pipe, causing cells to mutate and grow abnormally.
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While these cellular changes are not yet full-blown cancer, they carry a significantly higher risk of progressing into esophageal adenocarcinoma if left untreated.
Caught early, however, doctors can often halt or reverse the progression through lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, medication, and regular endoscopic monitoring.
A Wake-Up Call After Years of Heavy Use
The musician admitted that without such a stark medical warning, he likely never would have walked away from smoking on his own.
“I thought I could be like Willie Nelson and smoke to the day I die,” he added, noting he would have "never stopped" otherwise.
Barker has previously spoken openly about overcoming substance dependency following the catastrophic 2008 plane crash that claimed four lives and left him with severe burns across most of his body.
In an earlier interview with Men’s Health, he recalled relying on prescription medication and an "excessive amount of weed" prior to the tragedy, explaining that surviving the crash served as his turning point away from pills.
“People are always like, ‘Did you go to rehab?’” he told the magazine. “And I [say], ‘No, I was in a plane crash.’ That was my rehab. Lose three of your friends and almost die? That was my wake-up call. If I wasn’t in a crash, I would have probably never quit.”
Recent Nerve Surgery Update
The esophageal scare isn't the only medical hurdle Barker has navigated recently. Last month, the drummer revealed on his Instagram Stories that he underwent a cubital tunnel release procedure after experiencing persistent numbness in his arm, hand, and fingers following a live performance.
“I wanted to get ahead of it and get it over with so that I can keep playing the way I play for a long, long time 🥁,” Barker told fans at the time, adding that he expected to recover within a few weeks.
Topics: Travis Barker, Celebrity, Cancer
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