The cellist Julian Lloyd Webber has announced that he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.The musician, who celebrated his 75th birthday on Tuesday (14 April), returned to live shows on the same day after an absence of 12 years due to injury.He said in a statement: “I did not want to let anyone down, so I kept my diagnosis secret until after my birthday concert, but now I need to begin treatment as soon as possible.“I am encouraged by the expectations of the medical team and look forward to making a full recovery. I am not intending to cancel engagements, and I won’t comment any further on this matter until after the treatment.”Lloyd Webber, the brother of composer and theatre impresario Baron Andrew Lloyd Webber, performed a birthday charity gala concert at the Wigmore Hall on Tuesday.His return came after a lengthy hiatus from live concerts due to a herniated disc sustained from the repeated bowing action of his right arm. The injury was so severe that he sold his Stradivarius, as he believed he would never be able to perform again.Julian Lloyd Webber returned to the stage this week (Tim Ireland/PA) (PA Archive)However, he confirmed last year that he had been learning to play for the first time in years. Speaking ahead of his return to the stage, he told The Observer: “I began just playing scales a few weeks ago. I tried a whole piece, but quickly realised it was not going to work. I had to build up to it. So I did 15 minutes, then half an hour. Then I managed an hour.“Now I can’t wait for the concert. I just hope I can do it.”Lloyd Webber, who performed at the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, won a Brit Award for his recording of Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto.He was made an OBE in 2021 for services to music.Additional reporting by PA