April 30, 2001 (Reuters) – Rock guitarist Eddie Van Halen, leader of the veteran band that shares his last name, has confirmed he is battling cancer.

In a statement posted on Thursday on the group's Web site (www.van-halen.com), the 46-year-old Dutch-born musician broke his silence on the matter, ending a year of speculation about his health.

"I was examined by three oncologists and three head-and-neck surgeons at Cedars Sinai (Medical Center in Los Angeles) just before spring break, and I was told that I'm healthier than ever and beating cancer," Van Halen said.

"Although it's hard to say when, there's a good chance I will be cancer-free in the near future," he said.

Van Halen, a smoker and reformed alcoholic, did not say where the cancer was located, although unconfirmed reports have mentioned his tongue.

Last May, amid a whirl of rumors, a clinic in Houston, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, issued a vague statement saying that Van Halen planned "to begin an outpatient clinical trial to prevent cancer." Since then, there have been no updates on his health.

Van Halen's band, which formed in Los Angeles in 1974, is best known for such hits as "Runnin' With the Devil," "Jump" and "Why Can't This Be Love." Last July, the group reunited with original lead singer David Lee Roth, who had quit in 1985, to jam on some new material.

Van Halen and older brother Alex, the band's drummer, emigrated to California from the Netherlands in 1962 with their family. The guitarist is married to actress Valerie Bertinelli, and they have a son, Wolfgang.