Aretha Franklin has pancreatic cancer: reports

Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin is reportedly fighting pancreatic cancer, a form of the disease with an extremely high mortality rate.

The “Respect” singer, 68, recently canceled all her upcoming appearances through May after undergoing surgery last week for what had been an undisclosed health issue.

Her illness was reported yesterday by the Detroit News and the National Enquirer. Franklin, who issued a hopeful statement last week, released no comments yesterday.

(With Reuters)