Madonna's oldest brother Anthony Ciccone's 'cause of death revealed'

msn.com:

Madonna's oldest brother's cause of death has been revealed to be from a combination of respiratory failure and throat cancer, it had been reported.

Anthony Ciccone died at the age of 66 in February, reportedly due to oropharyngeal cancer, which can be caused by smoking. TMZ reported that the death certificate shows he was cremated and that use of tobacco contributed to his death.

He was receiving treatment at a Michigan nursing facility when he passed away, which was paid for by Madonna. The publication alleges that Anthony had his feeding and breathing tubes removed two days before he passed, despite knowing the consequences.

Madonna broke her silence over his death one day after news broke of his passing, over Instagram. While paying tribute to her late sibling, the Queen of Pop, 64, fondly remembered the wisdom he passed down to her, from different religion and his favorite novelists to music recommendations.  'Thank you for blowing my mind as a young girl and introducing me to Charlie Parker, Miles David, Buddhism, Taoism, Charles Bukowski, Richard Brautigan, Jack Kerouac, expansive thinking outing the box,' she captioned a sepia throwback. 'You planted many important seeds. 'In the image, uploaded to her Instagram Story on Monday morning, she can be seen smiling at a crowded table alongside numerous pals and Anthony.