Why Michael Bolton Wasn’t Given a Prognosis for Glioblastoma, His ‘Aggressive’ Brain Cancer Diagnosis (Exclusive)

Michael Bolton is living life one day at a time in the wake of his brain cancer diagnosis.

The Grammy-winning singer, 72, was diagnosed with glioblastoma in December 2023 — and in his first interview since, Bolton and his daughters reveal to PEOPLE that he has not been given a prognosis, as they’re choosing instead to remain hopeful.

“Our doctor told us that he has patients with glio that he has for 10 years,” Bolton’s daughter Holly tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “In my mind that’s my dad.”

The “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?” singer finished chemotherapy and radiation treatments in October and is now in what his doctors call a “survivorship” stage. The path forward is all about monitoring, as the recurrence rate is 90 percent. Bolton goes for MRIs every two months to ensure his tumor has not returned, and his most recent scan, taken in early April, was clear.

Though the statistics remain daunting — the five-year survival rate for glio patients is just 6.9 percent, per the Glioblastoma Foundation — Holly notes that her dad’s illness is the “best-case scenario,” as it was discovered fairly early; his tumor was removed in its entirety; and he has a genetic marker that makes him a good chemotherapy candidate.

“We continue to monitor for tumor recurrence,” Bolton’s neuro-oncologist, Dr. Ingo Mellinghoff of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, tells PEOPLE of survivorship. “It doesn’t mean they’re cured, necessarily… It’s a switch in the mentality. Hope is one of the strongest therapies we have.”

Mellinghoff is also hopeful that new treatments for “aggressive” glioblastoma will be discovered in time, which he explains is why he shies away from words like “incurable.”

“We are really hoping to make progress in clinical trials. I think that’s the only way we make progress,” he says. “I’ve been in this field now for over 20 years, and we have really transformed the treatment of cancer. The treatments we use for melanoma are completely different than even 20 years ago or 10 years ago. So ‘incurable’ has, to me, the flavor of definitive, like, ‘Go home, sell your house, it’s over.’ I think a certain degree of humility is in order because we don’t know what new cancer treatments we have.”

As Bolton endures the fight of his life, he’s focused on staying positive.

“I think we develop capabilities and problem management, and we learn how to make the best out of a bad situation,” he says. “You have to be a cheerleader for yourself.”

For more on Michael Bolton, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.