Less than one year since he first revealed his diagnosis, actor Sam Neill has shared a candid update on his cancer journey.
After sharing that his chemotherapy treatments failed, the 76-year-old previously revealed that he had switched his treatment to an experimental cancer-fighting medication which has placed him in remission for the last 12 months.
Despite the positive prognosis, the Jurassic Park star shared that the medication will eventually reduce in efficacy, with the actor now undergoing bi-weekly infusions for the remainder of his life.
“It’s just meant that every second week it was a case of forget about the weekend because that would be a bit grim, but other than that, it’s great to be alive and working and in beautiful places,” Sam told The Herald Sun.
Sam’s latest update comes just eight months after he first revealed his diagnosis of Stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma – a rare form of blood cancer.
Receiving his diagnosis in late 2022, Sam shared that his cancer journey was also marked by the ending of New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown, with the actor receiving his diagnosis upon his return to his home country.
“I was in really a fight for my life, and everything was a new world and a rather alarming world,” he told Australian Story, adding that his reunion with his family sadly coincided with three to four months of “brutal” chemotherapy treatment.
Reflecting on his prognosis, Sam added, “I know I’ve got it, but I’m not really interested in it. It’s out of my control. If you can’t control it, don’t get into it.”
Looking back on the impact of his ongoing treatment, Sam’s son Tim shared, “I was shocked, and I broke down and I could barely hug him. He was just, you know, bones and skin.”
Amidst his ongoing treatment, the New Zealand-born star has continued to take part in the world of film and television, with Sam most recently reprising his role in the Australian legal drama The Twelve.
“It’s great to be alive and working in beautiful places, like York,” he told The Herald Sun, with the rural Western Australian town starring as the backdrop of his latest on-screen role.
