Australian music icon John Farnham has undergone a successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his mouth.

The surgery took over 11 hours to complete, with Farnham now in a stable condition at a Victorian hospital.

In a statement this morning, the Farnham family spoke about the path ahead and praised the surgeons, doctors and nurses for their work.

“There is still a long road of recovery and healing ahead of us, but we know John is up for that task,” the statement read.

“We are in awe of the incredible teams of health professionals who have guided us through this very challenging time with such compassion. All of you undertook this big job today and have given us a magnificent outcome.”

The family also paid tribute to the many Australians who sent their well-wishes to the 73-year-old.

“We are genuinely overwhelmed by the incredible wave of support, love and messages we have received today from so many people around Australia … John will be blown away.”

Prior to the surgery, John Farnham provided a statement saying that he’s not the first person to go through this struggle.

“Cancer diagnosis is something that so many people face every single day, and countless others have walked this path before me,” he said.

“The one thing I know for sure is that we have the very best specialist healthcare professionals in Victoria, and we can all be grateful for that. I know I am.”

In his time as a singer, Farnham won 21 ARIA awards – a Guinness World Record – as well as 10 Logies.

He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2003.

PHOTO: John Farnham Live by Sean 917 available HERE and used under a creative commons license. The image has not been modified.