"Rocky" franchise star Dolph Lundgren was considering ending his life after a years-long battle with kidney cancer. Then a doctor "saved" his life by discovering a misdiagnosis had led to ineffective treatment.
The Swedish action star, 68, revealed in 2023 that he had been diagnosed with cancer eight years prior and that he'd been given a few years left to live after finding it had metastasized to other parts of his body. However, a review by another doctor's team led to the revelation that his cells showed a mutation commonly found in lung cancer patients.
Now, with his memoir, "Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle," recently published and a documentary, "Dolph: Unbreakable," due for digital release, he is opening up about the
highs and lows he's experienced since his 2015 diagnosis.
In a Us Weekly interview published Oct. 6, "The Expendables" actor explained that obtaining a second opinion "saved my life," adding that "I wouldn't have been sitting here right now" if his oncologist, Dr. Alexandra Drakaki, had not caught his misdiagnosis.
When he switched to a new medication, he felt "relief that it started working quite quickly."
Dolph Lundgren once considered medical aid in dying
Before reaching this turning point, Lundgren spoke to his brother, Johan, about exploring medical aid in dying, according to his memoir.
"Johan and I talked about it, but once I met Dr. Drakaki and began feeling a little better, it never went any further than that," he wrote, according to Fox News Digital.
"Of course, as most older men do, you do estate planning. You plan your will and who's going to get what. But in this case, it was around the corner," he told the outlet. "It was something I had to plan a little more in detail, like funerals and trying to figure out where I would be, what would be better for my family."
He added, "Planning your own funeral is kind of a saying, but I literally was doing that. That was tough."
The latest in Dolph Lundgren's cancer battle
Now, nearly two years out from announcing he is "cancer-free," Lundgren is "back to where I was before I started," he told Us Weekly.
His care plan now entails undergoing scans at four- or five-month intervals, but his results have been "clear," he said.
"Obviously I'm aware of the fact that ... something could come back," Lundgren added. "And look, it’s just part of life. I can't change that."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dolph Lundgren considered medical aid in dying before cancer breakthrough
