Elvis Costello forced to cancel concert due to cancer

English musician Elvis Costello has revealed that he has cancelled the dates of his European tour to recover from 'small but very aggressive' cancer.

Taking to his website, the singer wrote, "Six weeks ago my specialist called me and said, 'You should start playing the Lotto.' He had rarely, if ever, seen such a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery."

The message is the first time Costello went public about being diagnosed with cancer. "I was elated and relieved that our European summer tour could go ahead," he added.

The cancelled dates of Costello's European tour include shows in the United Kingdom, Croatia and Austria, confirmed CNN.

Costello said his surgery took place six weeks ago and was so successful that he decided to go on with plans for his European tour. However, he later realised that it is going to take a longer time to recover than what he estimated.

Costello also added that he and his band, The Imposters, plan to release a new record in October.