Dr Cleland Gooding MD., F.A.A.D., a physician with a specialty in Skin Diseases employed by the Bahamas Government, has penned this intriguing article about Bob Marley’s failed treatment for skin cancer, which eventually progressed to the brain cancer responsible for his death at 36.

Here are excerpts, with a link to the original article below.

Bob Marley the charismatic beloved Jamaican singer, who introduced Reggae infused with Rastafarian themes died from a cancerous brain Tumor on May 11, 1981, in Miami. Florida.

He was only 36 years old.

It’s been 30 years since his death, and there have many rumors and speculation about the cause of death.

Did he really die from a brain tumor? Or other nefarious causes? Like the CIA? Poison in his boots etc?

Bob Marley’s medical records were never made public.

However, from several sources, I managed to piece together the story of his illness and death from Metastatic Skin cancer (Melanoma). This account I hope is fair, balanced and enlightening.

Bob Marley remains the most widely known and revered performer of reggae music and is credited with spreading Jamaican and the Rastafarian movement worldwide.

When was the first indication that something was amiss with Bob Marley’s health?

According to sources this first happened in the summer of 1977.

He injured his right great toe during a Soccer game on tour in Paris, France. The toe nail became partially detached and painful. He admitted to his manager that the toe had been injured before and a wound was “on and off” for years!

If that was true, could a malignant melanoma (skin cancer) been growing there earlier?

A wound or sore that refuses to heal is a classic sign of skin cancer.

The hotel doctor was consulted and the right great toe nail was removed and the toe bandaged.

No biopsy was done.

The European tour continued and the Right great toe appeared to heal. However, later that summer he hurt the toe again playing soccer. It was painful and a new wound opened up and refused to heal.

As Bob Marley went to London for a meeting, late that summer (1977), his manager advised him to see a doctor.

According to reports the appearance of his toe shocked the Doctor. It was said to be “eating away”. A skin biopsy was done (removal of skin tissue for examination under the microscope).

The shocking diagnosis of malignant melanoma (Skin cancer) was given to Bob Marley.

He was advised that treatment would be to amputate the toe, to stop the cancer from spreading.

In Miami still in the summer 1977, the British diagnosis of malignant melanoma was confirmed to Bob Marley again. He was advised to get the toe amputated and possibly the right foot.

Again he refused.

Why didn’t Bob Marley have the amputation?

He cited religious beliefs about “not cutting the flesh”.

However, he allowed the famous orthopedic surgeon Dr. William Bacon to do a surgical excision to “cut away” cancerous tissue on the toe and do a skin graft at Cedar’s of Lebanon Hospital (now University of Miami Hospital). He remained in Hospital one week and spent about three months recuperating in Miami.

The procedure was deemed “a success”. But sadly it was not. Cancer in its virulent form began to spread through his body (metastasized).

This brings the question, why would Bob Marley get skin cancer on his toe?

First, we must remember that Bob was diagnosed with an Acral Melanoma.

This type accounts for 70 percent of melanoma in darkly pigmented individual or Asians. It typically occurs on non-sun exposed areas as the palm, the sole and mucosa and under the nails. It is characterised by a dark mole or spot that can turn cancerous.

This can happen by repeated trauma to the area or for no reason at all.

Studies have shown that darker skin people are more likely to present with advanced disease stage III -IV than whites who typically appear with stage I. This is exactly what happened in Mr. Marley’s case.

He presented with a skin cancer stage 3-4 on his toe.

He also was fair-skinned of a white father. Being fair-skinned is a risk factor for skin cancer. Melanoma can take years to spread. Most likely he had a pigmented dark mole under his right great toe nail, the continued playing of soccer traumatized the dark mole, which turned cancerous then into a sore.

When his cancer was discovered (summer of 1977) the recommendation to amputate his toe would most certainly have saved his life. The surgical excision done and the skin graft (July 1977) was ineffective or simply too late.

As the years went by, his health was deteriorating. He continued to be immersed in his music. In 1976 there was an attempt on his life in Jamaica, Mr. Marley narrowly escaped death, He, his wife and manager Don Taylor were shot.

Among the Doctors attending, them was a prominent Bahamian doctor Dr. Philip Thompson who was attending U.W.I. at the time.

In 1979, Bob Marley visited Nassau, The trip was opposed by some religious ministers.

It does not appear that he followed up on his doctor’s visits.

All appeared well until 1980. He released his last album “Uprising” and the band, the Wailers were planning an American tour with Stevie Wonder for the winter of 1980.

However, by the summer of 1980, the cancer was metastasizing through his body. According to sources, he did not feel well and saw a doctor who gives him clearance to go on tour!

The tour started in Boston followed by New York in September 1980.

During the show in New York in Madison Square Gardens Bob looked sick and almost fainted.

The very next morning September 21 while jogging through Central Park Bob Marley collapsed and was brought to a hospital. Tests showed a brain tumor, which most likely had spread from primary cancer on his right great toe.

The cancer was now spreading to his vital organs.

How does a malignant melanoma spread?

It is generally agreed that melanoma cells spread via the lymphatic, the bloodstream or both. Then it can affect the liver, the lungs, the brain or the bones.

A neurologist gave him one month to live. Rita Marley is said to have wanted the remaining tour canceled, but Bob wanted to continue. He played his last show in Pittsburgh but was too ill to continue and the tour was finally canceled.

That show proved to be his last.

Convinced at last to seek medical treatment, Bob was admitted to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan NY.

This center is one of the world’s leading cancer treatment center.

Tests then revealed the malignant melanoma cancer had spread to his lungs and liver. He received a few radiation treatments but checked out when some New York papers let on that he was seriously ill.

He went to Miami, then back to Sloan-Kettering, then Jamaica.

Why the back and forth? Some said he hadn’t much faith in “Western Medicine”.

He was advised to seek further help in Germany.

Bob and his entourage then traveled to Germany to the Bavarian Clinic of Dr. Josef Issels.

He was a specialist in Holistics, or Toxic cancer treatment. Why leave a world-renowned cancer treatment center like Sloan-Kettering to go to a holistic center?

That is a mystery to me.

While in Germany Bob Marley celebrated his 36^th and final birthday. While at the center in Germany Bob Marley received such treatments as exercise, ozone injections, vitamins and trace elements.

However, as the months went by, he realized that these treatments were not working and his cancer was terminal.