NEW YORK - In an upbeat video, Beastie Boy Adam "(MCA) Yauch announced via the group's website Monday that he has a "very treatable" cancerous tumour in his salivary gland and a nearby lymph node."

As a result, the band announced it is cancelling its tour dates and postponing the release of its upcoming album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1."

"About two months ago I started feeling a little lump in my throat," Yauch, seated next to fellow Beastie Boy Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, said in his video message.

"I started to think I should talk to my doctor ... and he sent me to a specialist, and they did tests, and I actually have a form of cancer."

Yauch, 43, said he will likely undergo surgery next week, followed up by some form of radiation.

"The good news is that they did scans of my whole body and it's only localized this one place, and it's not in a place that affects my voice, so that's nice," he said with a laugh.

"This is something that's very treatable in most cases, they're able to completely get rid of it and people don't have continuing problems with it and it's not anywhere else in my body."

Yauch is not only part of the pioneering rap trio, but has also emerged as a film producer.