Gospel artist Carman asks for prayers as cancer returns

Carman Licciardello asks for prayer as Cancers returns, on Jan. 12, 2020.(Photo: Facebook/Facebook/CarmanLicciardello)

Veteran Christian singer Carman Licciardello is asking fans to pray for him after being told by doctors that his cancer has returned. 

Carman already defied the odds back in 2013 when he was diagnosed with incurable myeloma cancer and told he had about three years left to live.  He went into remission after nine months of chemotherapy. 

Now, after six years, he is undergoing painful treatment again after being told by doctors that his cancer came back. 

"Doctors said the average remission was nine years. A year ago January, the oncologist told me my myeloma markers were spiking. Meaning, that in all this time I had no signs of cancer and in complete remission, but now the tests tell us 17% of the cancer is back. Nine years reduced to six years," he wrote on Facebook Sunday.

In his candid post, he admitted that the treatment has been gruelling and uncomfortable. 

"Since last July I've been on the more advanced medicine and getting chemo shots in my stomach every Tuesday. That really hurts," he said.

"They added a type of steroid, which bloats you up. So I immediately gained 20 pounds of water weight I couldn't get rid of. (Ugh) Now this week I'm back in Little Rock after faithfully following this regimen for seven months to see if this new approach has worked." 

He is now awaiting the results of a bone biopsy on his hip to see if the treatment has had any success in pushing back the cancer. 

As he awaits the result, he is urging fans to pray, adding that he would love to celebrate his birthday on January 19 with the news that he is cancer-free.

"Please pray, because I can't quit, I can't stop fighting and I still trust God to have His perfect will done in the end. But I can't do it without your prayers and support," he said.