Legendary guitarist Tony Iommi has credited medical staff in his hometown with putting BLACK SABBATH back on the road because a pioneering new cancer treatment has enabled him to join his bandmates on tour.

Iommi has revealed to the Birmingham Mail that the gigs were arranged around his specialist treatments at the Parkway Hospital in Birmingham as part of his ongoing battle with lymphoma.

The innovative medical program means the 65 year-old will be able to leave the country and return for sessions every six weeks, and he has now publicly thanked doctors at the hospital for helping him get back on the road.

He tells the Birmingham Mail, "Please give all the people at Parkway a good plug. They've been so good to me. I couldn't be doing this without them. I have to have an antibody administered by drip every six weeks or so to keep the lymphoma in check. It sort of coats the cancer cells, stops it from going anywhere else. I have to come back home no matter where I might be in the world. The tour dates are arranged so that I can always get back for treatment. It's the only way I can manage my illness and keep on the road. I'd love to play more shows than we're doing but my health has to be sorted out first. The infusions I have are part of the chemotherapy regime. It's relatively new treatment and they don't know what all the side-effects might be yet, but I wanted to try it."

He adds of the illness, "Medics say that the condition is manageable with treatment. I enjoy where I'm at now, I really do. It's a good place. I've got a good home life and a good family, great friends and support. And I'm fortunate because I'm still able to go out and play music."

Black Sabbath's tour schedule can be found here.

Black Sabbath release the new digital single 'God Is Dead?' today (April 19th). The track can be found on their upcoming album 13, Black Sabbath's first album in 35 years to feature singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geeezer Butler, and Tony Iommi. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE drummer Brad Wilk replaces Bill Ward behind the kit for 13.

Check out the near nine-minute 'God Is Dead?' streaming below:

13 was recorded primarily in Los Angeles and was produced by Rick Rubin (SLAYER, METALLICA). The album will be released on Vertigo (worldwide) and Vertigo/Republic in North America on June 13th.