Dolph Lundgren celebrates victory over nine-year cancer battle

Dolph Lundgren, known for his role in "The Expendables," shared the joyous news on Instagram. The actor, who battled cancer for nine years, announced that he is now free from the disease. During his treatment, doctors had initially given him only a few years to live. The actor openly stated that he was facing potentially just three years of life.

Lundgren underwent a pulmonary ablation procedure at UCLA, which involves destroying cancer cells without surgery. "I no longer have cancer cells in my body, so I will be cancer-free," the actor said. He emphasised that the battle with the disease taught him to enjoy every moment of life.

In May 2023, Lundgren revealed that he had been fighting cancer for eight years. Initially, he was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015, and the disease returned in 2020. Doctors then gave him 2–3 years to live. After altering his treatment, the tumours began to shrink.

The actor speculated that his past use of steroids might have contributed to the development of the disease. "You always think you made a mistake," Lundgren admitted. In the video, which can be viewed above, the star acknowledged that the fight against cancer was "a tough and long ride," and that it made him focus on enjoying life and appreciating it.

Lundgren sought a second opinion from Dr Alexandra Drakaki, which led to a change in his treatment. Within three months, the tumours shrank by 20–30%.

The actor gained fame with his role as Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV" and returned to Hollywood in 2010 with "The Expendables." Since then, he has appeared in numerous action movies, having several releases each year. In 2018, he appeared in "Aquaman," and in 2023, he returned to the "Expendables" franchise in the fourth instalment of the veteran story. This year, a film featuring him titled "Wanted Man" was released.