DETROIT — Aretha Franklin is remaining mum when it comes to rumors she's suffering from pancreatic cancer.
"I am not going to even deal with that," the 68-year-old music icon tells JET magazine in a new interview. "I don't have to talk about my health with anybody other than my doctors."
Franklin underwent surgery last month for an undisclosed ailment. Without going into details, she told the mag, "The problem has been resolved."
"I am not one to do a lot of talking about my personal health or business," she said. "Not too much, not too much. There are a lot of people who will talk about anything, as long as there is somebody listening. But I am not one of those people. That's not Aretha."
The singer recalled having "a very hard pain in my side" at a Toronto concert last year. She thought it was caused by a recent colonoscopy, but her doctor recommended having a CAT-scan.
"Thank God he said that because that unfolded everything, what the problem was and everything," she revealed.
The Queen of Soul is now urging others to be proactive with health concerns.
"If there is anything happening with you that is uncommon and something that you know should not be happening, go to your doctor," she said. "Be determined to find out what is going on."
The soul legend is also grateful for all the well-wishes she's been receiving.
"I want to thank my fans and friends and supporters who have prayed for me and sent me beautiful cards and flowers," she said. "Please continue to respect my privacy as I continue to recover."
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