Bob Marley and Skin Cancer

Bob Marley was a legendary Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter, widely known for reggae and for spreading messages of peace. What may not be as widely known about him is that he tragically died from skin cancer at 36 years old.

How did Bob Marley die?

Bob Marley died on May 11, 1981, in Miami, at age 36, from acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) — a rare form of skin cancer that had spread from beneath his right big toenail to his lungs, liver, and brain. He was diagnosed in 1977, after a dark spot under the toenail was discovered, which he first attributed to a soccer injury.

Melanoma is generally considered the deadliest form of skin cancer. In Marley’s case, the primary tumor was removed, but the cancer spread rapidly throughout his body. In September 1980, he collapsed while jogging in New York’s Central Park; he was transported to the hospital, where it was discovered that the melanoma had reached his brain. Following this incident, Marley’s health deteriorated quickly, and after months of treatment in Germany, he died on his way home to Jamaica.

What is acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM)?

Acral lentiginous melanoma is a melanoma that forms on the palms, the soles of the feet, or under the fingernails and toenails. When it appears under a nail, it is also called subungual melanoma. Unlike most melanomas, ALM is not generally linked to sun exposure, so it can affect anyone regardless of skin tone or lifestyle.

ALM accounts for only 2–3% of melanomas overall, but it is disproportionately more common among people with pigmented skin, including Black, Hispanic, and Asian patients. Because it appears in places people rarely check, a dark streak under a nail is easily mistaken for a bruise or infection, leading to diagnosis at an advanced stage when it is harder to treat. That is exactly what happened to Bob Marley.

Melanoma is one of many cancers ICRF supports research on. Explore the diverse research underway across a range of cancer types.

Why did Bob Marley refuse to have his toe amputated?

When doctors recommended amputating the toe to stop the cancer from spreading, Marley declined. The most widely cited reason is his Rastafarian faith, which he understood to prohibit the removal of body parts, together with concern that losing the toe would end his ability to perform and to play soccer. He agreed instead to a less extensive excision that removed only the nail bed and the cancerous tissue — and that surgery did not stop the cancer from metastasizing.

Today, treatment for a localized ALM is often a wide excision or partial amputation of the affected digit, followed by evaluation of the nearby lymph nodes. Whether an amputation in 1977 would have saved Marley cannot be known, since the cancer may already have spread microscopically. But earlier detection and complete removal remain the most important factors in surviving melanoma.

Could Bob Marley have survived today?

Very possibly. Melanoma found early is now highly survivable: the five-year relative survival rate for localized melanoma is above 99%, according to the American Cancer Society. Advanced melanoma, once almost uniformly fatal, can now be controlled for years in many patients thanks to immunotherapy.

Those gains come from research into how the immune system can be harnessed, stimulated, or suppressed to attack cancer. Several of the discoveries behind modern immunotherapy originated in Israel, and ICRF has funded that work for decades. Meet the ICRF-funded scientists working on melanoma and skin cancer.

Israeli Scientists are Advancing the Future of Melanoma Research

Bob Marley’s death is a stark reminder of how deadly melanoma can be. But his story also underscores just how far cancer research has come, and why continued investment in research matters. ICRF supports scientists in Israel who are pushing related research forward, developing new ways to understand how these cancers grow, spread, and resist treatment, and turning scientific discoveries into potential new therapies for patients.

One example is Asaf Madi, PhD, of Tel Aviv University, whose melanoma research is supported through a collaboration between ICRF and the Cancer Research Institute (CRI). In 2026, ICRF and CRI awarded Dr. Madi a $180,000, three-year ICRF-CRI Immunotherapy Collaborative Project Grant to study how to make a promising form of immunotherapy called tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy more effective.

Read the ICRF-CRI announcement about Dr. Madi’s melanoma research

TIL therapy uses immune cells that have naturally entered a patient’s tumor. Scientists can collect these T cells, grow them in the laboratory, and return them to the patient in an effort to help the immune system attack the cancer. While this approach can produce powerful responses in some patients with advanced melanoma, it does not work for everyone, and some patients eventually relapse.

Dr. Madi’s research is focused on understanding why. His team is studying the immune-cell dynamics that influence treatment response and resistance, with the goal of identifying predictive biomarkers and optimizing TIL composition and expansion. Ultimately, the research aims to develop more effective and durable TIL-based therapies for people with melanoma.

Learn more about Asaf Madi, PhD and his research

This is why ICRF invests in the scientists pursuing the questions that could change what is possible for patients. Bob Marley’s story reminds us of how far we have come in treating melanoma. Researchers like Dr. Madi are working to determine how much farther we can go.

ICRF Related Research in Melanoma and Skin Cancer

Learn about some of the other brilliant ICRF-funded scientists working to better understand, diagnose, and treat melanoma and other skin cancers. Their research reflects the breadth of Israeli innovation and its potential impact on patients worldwide.

Current Grant Recipients
Emily Avitan-Hersh, PhD

Rony Dahan, PhD

Yochai Wolf, PhD

Tal Yardeni, PhD

Past Grant Recipients
Ittai Ben-Porath, PhD

Warning signs: how to check your nails and feet

As part of a wider full-body skin check, it is important to look at the hands and feet. ALM is rare, but it is far more manageable when it is diagnosed at an early stage. Look for:

• A dark brown or black streak under a fingernail or toenail that does not grow out with the nail.
• A new dark spot on the palm or sole, or a spot that changes shape or color.
• Pigment spreading from the nail onto the surrounding skin (the “Hutchinson sign”).
• A sore on the foot that does not heal.

If you notice any of these, see your dermatologist. Do not wait for it to hurt.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of cancer did Bob Marley have?

Acral lentiginous melanoma, a rare skin cancer that started under his right big toenail.

How did Bob Marley get cancer in his toe?

ALM is not caused by sun exposure, and its causes are not fully understood, though genetics and possibly repeated trauma to the area are being studied. Marley’s earlier injury to the toe likely delayed his diagnosis rather than caused the cancer.

How long did Bob Marley live after his diagnosis?

About four years: he was diagnosed in 1977 and died in May 1981.

Is melanoma under the toenail curable?

Yes, when it is detected and removed early. Survival drops sharply once it has spread, which is why any dark streak under a nail should be checked by a dermatologist.

Sources: American Cancer Society (acral lentiginous and subungual melanoma; melanoma survival rates); published biographies and contemporaneous reporting on Bob Marley’s illness and treatment, 1977–1981.