Dolph Lundgren has announced that he is cancer-free after previously being told by doctors that he had just two years to live.
The Swedish actor, best known for playing Russian boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, had been battling various forms of cancer for nine years, but confirmed on Wednesday (November 27) that the last tumour was finally removed from his body.
Sharing a video from his hospital bed, Lundgren told his Instagram followers that he was undergoing lunch ablation, a minimally invasive procedure which targets cancer cells with heat or cold.
In the video, the actor told his fans: “Here I am at UCLA, I’m about to go in and get rid of that last tumour. 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 captioned the video: “Health update – finally cancer free with gratefulness and excitement for a bright future. Thanks for all your support always.”
In 2023, Lundgren revealed that he had been privately battling cancer. Speaking to In Depth with Graham Bensinger, the Expendables star shared that his first brush with cancer came in 2015, when a cancerous tumour was discovered in his kidney. The tumour was removed and scans came back clean for the next five years until more tumours were discovered in 2020.
In a clip shared with Graham Bensinger taken the day after Ludgren’s 2020 surgery, he revealed that six tumours were removed during his operation. “If it dies, it dies,” Lundgren said chipperly, referencing Ivan Drago’s iconic “If he dies, he dies” line from Rocky IV.
The following year, Lundgren was told that a tumour had been discovered in his liver, though this one was too big to remove and that doctors said he had “two or three years” left. He was also told he had more tumours in his lungs, stomach, spine and kidneys.
“I thought that was it. You kind of look at your life and go ‘Oh, I’ve had a great life’. Yeah, I’ve had a freaking great life, I’ve lived like five lifetimes in one. It wasn’t like I was bitter about it, but you feel sorry for my kids and my fiancée and the people around you,” he said.
After seeking a second opinion, Lundgren was able to undergo additional treatment that resulted in the tumours shrinking by 20 to 30 per cent “within three months”. The actor has since gone on to complete a full recovery, with all the tumours being removed.
Lundgren’s large major acting credit was Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which released in December 2023. The actor later admitted that he was disappointed with the cut that was shown to audiences, saying that the original edit was “really good”.