Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen‘s wife and member of the E Street Band, revealed she has been battling cancer for the past several years.

In Springsteen’s new documentary, Rock Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, Scialfa shared she had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2018.

The singer-songwriter said the diagnosis made it difficult for her to tour with her husband and the E Street Band so she made the difficult decision to step back.

“This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” she said. “Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.”

Previously, Scialfa told the Asbury Park Press she opted to play only a handful of shows on Springsteen’s current tour, which began in February 2023, because she wanted to spend more time with her granddaughter Lily Springsteen, who was born in July 2022, and work on her solo album.