Dolph Lundgren reveals he’s cancer-free after being told he only had ‘2-3 years’ to live during treatment

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2015, declared that he is now cancer-free in a heartfelt social media post.

The 67-year-old 'Expendables' star announced on Instagram on Wednesday, November 27, that he has become cancer-free after a nine-year battle, during which time doctors once told him he would live for only a few years.

Lundgren added in his caption, “Health update - finally cancer free with gratefulness and excitement for a bright future. Thanks for all your support always. 🙏”

Dolph Lundgren's 'rough ride' to become cancer-free after 9 years of battle

Dolph Lundgren, who was filming the clip from his hospital bed, described that he was having a lung ablation, a minimally invasive technique that targets and kills cancer cells without the need for surgery by using heat or cold energy.

Lundgren said, "Here I am at UCLA, I’m about to go in and get rid of that last tumor. 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."

"It’s been a rough ride and really taught me how to live in the moment and enjoy every moment of life. I mean, it’s the only way to go," he added.

Following his kidney cancer diagnosis in 2015, which he kept a secret for eight years, the actor received treatment while still working on movies like 'Aquaman' and 'Creed 2', per People.

Lundgren revealed in May 2023 that he had been fighting cancer for eight years and doubted whether his previous bodybuilding use of steroids contributed to the condition.

The actor discussed his struggle on 'In Depth with Graham Besinger,' disclosing that his cancer went into remission, but it returned in 2020, and one doctor told him he had two to three years to live.  Lundgren sought a second opinion, and the current course of treatment has caused the tumors to shrink, per Daily Mail.

Dolph Lundgren was given only '2-3 years' to live

Dolph Lundgren had five years of clear scans after the tumor in his kidney was successfully removed, but the cancer spread to his stomach, liver, spine, and lungs in 2020.

"It's the day after my surgery, they took out one tumor, then they took out another two they found and another three small ones," he said in a clip from the 'In Depth with Graham Besinger' interview, still in his hospital gown.

He talked to Bensinger about how he found out he had cancer again in 2020. "In 2020, I was back in Sweden and I had some kind of acid reflux, I didn’t know what it was so I did an MRI," Lundgren said.

He said, "They found that there were a few more tumors around that area. They found one more tumor in the liver, so I was like aw s**** okay."

He explained: "At that point it started to hit me that this was something serious. The surgeon called me and said it had grown, it was too big, it had grown to the size of a small lemon."

"I asked them how long do I have left, I think he said 2-3 years but I could tell in his voice he thought it was less. I thought that was it for sure."

This made Lundgren "depressed" and he sought a second opinion. His physician was able to treat his kidney cancer by targeting a mutation he had.

Lundgren claimed that his body was affected by his use of steroids. "I tried steroids back in the '80s, '90s. I don't know if that is something to do with the cancer, of course it struck me as it could have something to do with it," he said.

"I thought about it, you always think you've made a mistake. I think maybe there is some connection between testosterone therapy and cancer," he added.

Internet rejoices after Dolph Lundgren's cancer-free announcement

Fans and friends, thrilled by the positive news, surged to the comment section to congratulate Dolph Lundgren on being cancer-free.

Chuck Norris wrote: "Wonderful news! So happy to hear this, Dolph. God bless."

British actor Scott Adkins added: "Health & happiness to you and your family Dolph. I will never forget when we shot Castle Falls and you directed and starred whilst also dealing with this and you never made a fuss of it, never even mentioned it but got your head down and did the work regardless of all you were dealing. You are a true warrior my friend."

One fan commented, "That’s Just Awesome Dolph. You’re Stronger Than Even Ivan Drago Truly!!! SO Awesome to Hear," while Terry Crews shared a few fire emojis.

"I wish good health for dear Dolph Lundgren, my favorite actor of my teenage years," commented one fan.

Another said, "Stay strong Dolph.. there’s a long road ahead of you!"

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