The guitarist had a five hour operation to have the growth removed.

The Rolling Stones Ronnie Wood has spoken out about the surgery he had to remove a growth in his lung.

The musician received the diagnosisback in Mayand underwent a five hour operation to have part of his lung removed.

He spoke exclusively to the Mail on Sundays Event magazine, saying he prepared to say goodbye to his family after the diagnosis.

There was a week when everything hung in the balance and it could have been curtains time to say goodbye, he told the mag.

You never know what is going to happen.

He revealed that hed been surprised that he hadnt fallen ill sooner after his life of hedonism.

I had this thought at the back of my mind after I gave up smoking a year ago: How can I have got through 50 years of chain-smoking and all the rest of my bad habits without something going on in there?' the guitarist said.

So I went along to see our good old doctor, Richard Dawood, because we [Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts] all have to be checked before we go on tour, and he asked me if I wanted him to go deeper and check my heart, lungs and blood. I said, Go for it.'

Wood told the mag that hes fine now, and will be going for regular check-ups.

He quit smoking before his twins were born in 2016 and is now sober after being in rehab eight times, and having treatment for alcoholism.

But what doesbandmate Keith Richards think of his sobriety?

He was more bothered Id quit the fags, Wood revealed. I took Champix [a nicotine inhibitor] for three weeks. That stuff is heavy duty. Makes me sick even to think of it now. I just stopped wanting the ciggies.

Wood is expected to join the band on their No Filter European dates in September.

The Rolling Stones upcoming No Filter European tour dates are below.

9 September Hamburg, Germany: Stadtpark 12 September Munich, Germany: Olympic Stadium 16 September Spielberg, Austria: Spielberg at Red Bull Ring 20 September Zurich, Switzerland: Letzigrund Stadium 23 September Lucca, Italy: Lucca Summer Festival-City Walls 27 September Barcelona, Spain: Olympic Stadium 30 September Amsterdam, Holland: Amsterdam ArenA 3 October Copenhagen, Denmark: Parken Stadium 9 October Dusseldorf, Germany: Esprit arena 12 October Stockholm, Sweden: Friends Arena 15 October Arnhem, Holland: GelreDome 19 October Paris, France: U Arena 22 October Paris, France: U Arena

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Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood opens up about his lung cancer - NME.com