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Credit: DisneyDiningA beloved Disney and Universal actor has shared an update regarding his cancer diagnosis, his progress in fighting the disease, and about his mindset as he lives with cancer.
Sam Neill Announces He Has Cancer
It’s been more than a year since actor Sam Neill first announced he had been diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.
Though Neill remains optimistic and determined in his fight, he previously shared that he knows the odds are that he will one day lose his battle with the disease.
He began to receive chemotherapy treatments, but when those failed to work, Neill’s oncologist chose to use an anti-cancer medication which has put the Jurassic Park actor into remission for more than 12 months now, which is a positive thing for Neill.
The downside to the medication, however, is that he will have to receive infusions once every two weeks for the rest of his life, and it is believed that the drug will eventually cease to have an effect on the disease.
Despite this, Neill continues to be optimistic when updating his fans.
“A Big Impact”
Per Australia’s News.com, during an interview in early July, Neill said the treatments have a big impact on the way he lives his life.
“It’s just meant that every second week, it was a case of forgetting about the weekend because that would be a bit grim,” Neill said, referring to his treatment schedule. “But other than that, it’s great to be alive and working and in beautiful places like York.”
Months ago, Neill said he was not afraid of dying. However, he did say that he “would be annoyed” if that should happen, as he still has many things he’d like to accomplish in his lifetime.
“I’m prepared for that,” Neill said, adding that he’s not even “remotely afraid” of death.
Neill had previously shared during an interview with the BBC that he is hopeful that his cancer won’t take the spotlight in his memoir.
“The last thing I want is for people to obsess about the cancer thing because I’m not really interested in cancer,” Neill said. “I’m not really interested in anything other than living.”
Sam Neill was born in the United Kingdom and was raised in New Zealand. He is most famous for his role in Jurassic Park, and he has been a part of Australian television and cinema for more than half a century.