When was Dolph Lundgren diagnosed with cancer? Rocky IV actor shares positive health update

Rocky IV star Dolph Lundgren had a positive health update to give fans after being diagnosed with cancer 8 years ago. In 2023, the Swedish action star revealed that he was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2015. After five post-surgery symptom-free years, the actor was found to have further tumors in his liver and kidney area in 2020.

At one point, the actor said that his diagnosis only gave him an estimated 2-3 years left to live. However, in an Instagram video on Wednesday, November 26, 2024, Lundgren said that he was cancer-free. He revealed in the video, filmed from a hospital bed, that he was at UCLA, about to get rid of his last tumor. The actor captioned his post:

"Health update - finally cancer free with gratefulness and excitement for a bright future. Thanks for all your support always. 🙏"

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"I’ve had a great life. I’ve lived like five lifetimes in one"— Dolph Lundgren in 2023

As mentioned, Dolph Lundgren made an appearance on the In Depth With Graham Bensinger interview series in May 2023, where he revealed that he was battling cancer. After initially being diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2015, the actor underwent surgery.

This rendered him symptom-free for five years before he took a trip to Sweden in 2020, where he experienced "some kind of acid reflux." After doing an MRI, the actor found out that he had more tumors in his kidney and liver area. Although six of these tumors were removed, one tumor grew to be the "size of a lemon" in his liver and couldn't be ousted.

Lundgren realized the seriousness of his condition when a doctor from London told him to stop working and spend more time with his family. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, The Punisher actor was only given 2 to 3 years to live, which he made peace with. Dolph Lundgren recalled:

"I’ve had a great life. I’ve lived like five lifetimes in one. So it wasn’t like I felt bitter but I felt sorry for my kids and my fiancé."

However, the Red Scorpion star later found out that he was being given the wrong diagnosis as his doctors never really checked on all the biopsies. The actor received a second opinion from oncologist Dr. Alexandra Drakaki of UCLA Medical Center, who said that Lundgren's condition was of a "different mutation" than what the other doctors had said.

Dolph Lundgren said he started getting better as soon as he received new medication in 2022. The treatment, which he underwent while filming for The Expendables 4 and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, was effective in reducing tumor size by 90%. All his tumors were removed in 2022.

"They freeze them out or use radiation. And then, you know, now I'm living a normal life, I would say. Except I gotta go and do a scan every three months. But everything else is kind of back to normal. So, it was scary and magical at the same time," he explained.

In the video he shared on Wednesday, Dolph Lundgren announced he was about to undergo a lung ablation, which would finally render him cancer-free. He said from the hospital bed:

"Alright, here I am [at] UCLA, about to go in and get rid of that last tumor — and, since there are no cancer cells in my body anymore, I guess I'll be cancer-free, so I'm looking forward to this procedure.

"Yeah, it's been a rough ride and really taught me how to live in the moment and enjoy every moment of life. It's the only way to go. Alright, they're coming to get me, see ya!"

The comments section of Dolph Lundgren's post was filled with appreciation from his fans and celebrity friends, including Terry Crews, Busta Rhymes, Chuck Norris, Scott Adkins, Ian Ziering, and Frank Stallone.