Dolph Lundgren, 67, announces he is now cancer-free after doctors said he only has “2 to 3 years” to live

Dolph Lundgren shared some incredibly heartwarming news to kick off the holiday season.

The 67-year-old “Expendables” star announced on Instagram Wednesday that he is now cancer-free after a nine-year battle in which doctors once told him he only had a few years to live.

Filming from his hospital bed, the Swedish actor explained that he was undergoing lung ablation, a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat or cold energy to attack and destroy cancer cells without the need for surgery.

“Here I am at UCLA, getting rid of the last tumor,” he said. “Since there are no more cancer cells in my body, I assume I will be cancer-free, so I’m looking forward to this procedure.”

“It was a tough ride and really taught me how to live in the moment and enjoy every moment of life,” he continued. “I mean, that’s the only way.”

In the caption of his post, Lundgren added: “Finally cancer free, full of gratitude and looking forward to a bright future. ‘Thank you for all your support.’

Dolph Lundgren shared some incredibly heartwarming news to kick off the holiday season

The 67-year-old “Expendables” star announced on Instagram Wednesday that he is now cancer-free after a nine-year battle in which doctors once told him he only had a few years to live

In May 2023, Dolph revealed that he had been battling cancer for eight years and speculated whether his previous use of steroids in bodybuilding was to blame.

The actor opened up about his battle on “In Depth with Graham Besinger” and revealed that he was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015.

Lundgren says he went into remission, but then the cancer returned in 2020 and a doctor told him he only had two to three years to live.

The star sought a second opinion and the treatment he is now being given has caused the tumors to shrink.

In an excerpt from the interview, while still wearing a hospital gown, he says: “The day after my operation they removed a tumor, then two more they found, and three small ones.”

“Hopefully it’s cleansed, if it dies, it dies.”

Lundgren had referenced his memorable quote from the 1985 film Rocky IV after his character Ivan Drago killed Apollo Creed during their exhibition fight.

Speaking to Bensinger, he shared how he discovered he had cancer again in 2020.

Filming from his hospital bed, the Swedish actor explained that he was undergoing lung ablation, a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat or cold energy to attack and destroy cancer cells without the need for surgery

In the caption of his post, Lundgren added: “Finally cancer free, full of gratitude and looking forward to a bright future.” Thank you for all your support.

Lundgren says: “In 2020 I was back in Sweden and had some kind of acid reflux. I didn’t know what it was, so I got an MRI.”

“They found that there were a few other tumors in that area.”

He continues: “They found another tumor in the liver, so I was like, shit, okay.”

“From that point on I realized it 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 her how long I had left. I think he said 2-3 years, but I could tell from his voice that he thought it was less. I thought that was definitely it.’

Lundgren said that steroid use has an impact on his body

He said: “I tried steroids in the 80s and 90s. I don’t know if this has anything to do with the cancer, but of course it occurred to me that it might have something to do with it.

“I’ve been thinking about it, you always think you’ve made a mistake.” I think there may be a connection between testosterone therapy and cancer.

Lundgren and his fiancée Emma Krokdal in April 2023

Lundgren in the role of Ivan Drago in the 1985 film Rocky IV

“When I was younger, I took steroids, off and on, for maybe ten years, depending on the type of film I did.”

Fiancée Emma Krokdal told Bensinger, “His mouth got really sore, his hands got sore and he couldn’t eat.”

“It was a struggle, he lost weight.” “We realized it was a lot worse than we thought and they started talking about tumors in the lungs, stomach, spine and outside the kidneys.”

His daughter Ida Lundgren told Bensinger: “It became clear to me when I had an intense conversation with my father about what would happen if he died.”

“That was a terrible conversation, it was a hard time.” “I have to be strong for my sister.”

Lundgren said he then sought a second opinion on his diagnosis and spoke to Dr. Alexandra Drakaki spoken.

After changing his treatment, Lundgren says his tumors shrank by twenty to thirty percent within three months.

Lundgren continues, “You just appreciate being lucky to be alive and you appreciate every moment that there is.”

Lundgren with actor Sylvester Stallone in Rocky IV

Lundgren is best known for his roles in action films. Lundgren made his breakthrough with the role of Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV”.

He later reprized his role as Drago in Creed II in 2018.

After spending a long time working on direct-to-video films in the ’90s, he returned to Hollywood in 2010 in “The Expendables” alongside Rocky co-star Sylvester Stallone.

He has since reprized his role as Gunnar Jensen in the three sequels.