Singer-songwriter Elvis Costello said that he needs more time to recover after undergoing surgery on a cancerous tumor.

The 63-year-old musician said in a statement on Friday that he had initially thought "normal service had been resumed," but now realized he needed more rest. "Therefore, I must reluctantly cancel all the remaining engagements of this tour," he said, vowing to "return at the soonest opportunity."

The musician, whose hits include "Alison" and "Oliver's Army," was due to give concerts in Britain, Croatia, Austria, Norway and Sweden. He said it was better to disappoint fans by cancelling concerts rather than giving poor performances. In his statement, he urged men to go to their doctors if they had symptoms they were worried about.

He said his specialist had called him six weeks ago and told him, "You should begin playing the Lotto," as the doctor had "had rarely, if ever, seen such a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery."

Costello added that he was planning on having a new record out in October.

als/eg (AP, Reuters, dpa)