Poison frontman Bret Michaels is standing by drummer Rikki Rockett during his cancer battle.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to Rikki. I have known for a while he was going through this tough battle," Classic Rock magazine quotes Michaels as saying. "Although people have asked me about his health, out of respect for Rikki's wishes, it wasn't my place to speak about it until Rikki was ready to talk about it himself. He is a longtime friend and a true fighter."

As previously reported, Rockett submitted himself to multiple rounds of treatment after being diagnosed with oral cancer, and though he's definitely been through the medical wringer, he's offered an encouraging update on his long-term prospects, telling fans all signs point to remission.

Michaels, as Poison fans are well aware, has plenty of firsthand experience where health woes are concerned — he suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2010, and experienced complications from surgery while on the road last year. His words of support for Rockett should come as a welcome development for fans who've seen signs of tension between members of the band during its recent hiatus.

There have been rumblings from Michaels of a Poison tour in 2016 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their debut LP, and during a Dec. 14 appearance on Eddie Trunk Live, Rockett made it clear that after several years of minimal activity, it's now or never for the band.

"I'm trying to be as delicate as I can with this, because Poison is my baby, you know what I mean?" said Rockett. "Thirty years. I don't want to kill it off. But at the same time, it will get killed off if we don't do anything — it'll just automatically start to suffocate itself. It's time to do something. This year is definitely decision time."

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