From Facing Dinosaurs On-screen to Facing Cancer
- “Jurassic Park” actor Sam Neill reassures fans in his signature witty, dry humor way that he’s “alive and well” as he celebrates eight months of remission following treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Neill was diagnosed after noticing a persistent lump in his neck. He had an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL).
- Lymphoma is a blood cancer, specifically of the immune system, that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes.
- Lymphoma treatment largely depends on the nature of your specific diagnosis. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, their cancer is more likely to spread randomly and be discovered in different groups of lymph nodes in the body.
- Treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma often includes chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
- SurvivorNet experts say a chemotherapy combination called R-CHOP is an effective treatment for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It stands for Rituximab (Rituxan), a monoclonal antibody, Cyclophosphamide (a type of chemotherapy drug), Doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunomycin—a kind of chemotherapy drug), Vincristine sulfate (Oncovin—a sort of chemotherapy drug), and Prednisone (a steroid).
Diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Neill has faced the disease with candor and grace. His treatment journey began while filming a Jurassic Park project, and since then, he’s kept fans updated with a mix of honesty and humor.
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“Please be assured that I am firmly in remission,” he noted on an Instagram post. “I plan to remain so for years to come. And as such time that [treatment] does fail, we’ll try something else. There’s lots of things that are happening with cancer these days. It’s a whole new ball game.”
From blockbuster films to personal battles, Sam Neill continues to show us what resilience looks like, and for him, it’s filled with a touch of humor.
Expert Resources on non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Neill’s Cancer Journey
Neill’s cancer journey began last year when he felt lumps in his neck. His doctor initially told him it was because of a COVID-19 infection, but as his symptoms persisted, he pushed for more solid answers.
“I said, these lumps don’t seem to be going down, and I don’t know why,” Neill said in his memoir “Did I Ever Tell You This.”
Neill was in the middle of promoting “Jurassic World: Dominion” when his neck swelled. People magazine reported that the actor didn’t give his neck much thought until photos from the event showed that it appeared “lumpy.”
Neill talked with his doctor, who attributed the symptoms to another condition.
“He assured me that my lumpy glands were due to undetected COVID, and they’d be hanging around for a little while. I went back a week later when they were even bigger. This time, he sent me to the hospital for some tests,” Neill told People Magazine.
An eventual PET scan led to his angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) diagnosis, which is a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Understanding Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
“Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a big category,” Dr. Julie Vose, chief of hematology/oncology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet.
All non-Hodgkin lymphomas begin in white blood cells known as lymphocytes, which are part of your body’s immune system. From there, doctors separate these cancers into types depending on the specific kind of lymphocytes they grow from, B cells or T cells.
Knowing which one of these you have can help steer you to the most appropriate treatment for you.
One way doctors divide up these cancers is based on how fast they’re likely to grow and spread. “The two main classifications I think of in terms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma are lymphomas that are more indolent and those that are more aggressive because those are treated very differently,” Dr. Jennifer Crombie, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, tells SurvivorNet.
Most non-Hodgkin lymphomas, about 85%, affect B-cells. These cells produce antibodies and proteins that react to foreign substances like viruses or bacteria in your body. The antibodies attach to another protein on the surface of the invading cells, called an antigen, to target and destroy them.
“Within a few days, I was lying on a hospital bed having all kinds of chemicals draining into my system,” Neill said as he coped with his cancer diagnosis, an emotional moment many cancer warriors experience before they bravely battle the disease.
Actor Sam Neill, a father of two, started chemotherapy treatment, but once the chemotherapy he was on stopped being effective, he switched to a different chemotherapy drug. Although Neill did not reveal which chemo drug he was taking, side effects such as hair loss took him aback.
“After my first chemo, it took only a little over two weeks for the hair to disappear completely from the top of my head,” Neill said.
He also lost facial hair, which revealed that his face was without his signature beard in later years, something he admitted he hadn’t seen in 15 years.
“Time has not been kind to it in the meantime. I’m not just wrinkled in the space where there formerly resided a beard; I am positively wizened. Three or four strokes of my trimmer and I had aged twenty years,” he said.
WATCH: The type of lymphoma you have matters.
Lymphoma treatment largely depends on the nature of your specific diagnosis. For non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, their cancer is more likely to spread randomly and be discovered in different groups of lymph nodes in the body. Hodgkin lymphoma cancers, on the other hand, are more likely to grow consistently from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.
Neill’s chemotherapy proved successful, as the actor revealed his cancer status in an Instagram post.
“I am alive and well, and I have been in remission for eight months, which feels really good,” Neill said.
WATCH: The type of lymphoma you have matters.
B-Cell vs. T-Cell Lymphoma
Doctors classify NHL based on the type of lymphocytes affected:
B-cell lymphomas account for nearly 85% of NHL cases. These cancers originate in cells responsible for producing antibodies that identify and fight infections.
T-cell lymphomas, making up 15% of cases, arise in T-cells, which directly attack harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses.
Identifying whether the lymphoma is B-cell or T-cell helps guide treatment options tailored to the disease’s behavior and progression.
Types of B-Cell Lymphoma
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Follicular lymphoma
- Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) / Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
- Mantle cell lymphoma
- Marginal zone lymphomas
- Burkitt lymphoma
Types of T-Cell Lymphoma
- T-lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia
- Peripheral T-cell lymphomas
- Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Aggressive vs. Indolent (slow-growing) Lymphomas
One of the key distinctions doctors make when diagnosing non-Hodgkin lymphoma is how rapidly the cancer grows and spreads.
Indolent (slow-growing) lymphomas tend to develop over time and may not require immediate aggressive treatment.
Aggressive lymphomas spread quickly and need intensive treatment to prevent further progression.
Dr. Jennifer Crombie, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, explains that understanding whether the lymphoma is indolent or aggressive is essential, as they require very different treatment approaches.
Treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
The approach to treatment depends largely on the specific diagnosis and how the cancer behaves in the body.
Unlike Hodgkin lymphoma, which often spreads predictably from one lymph node group to the next, non-Hodgkin lymphoma can spread more randomly throughout different lymph node clusters.
WATCH: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment options
While some forms of NHL are treatable but not curable, others progress rapidly if left untreated, warns Dr. Lawrence Piro, President and CEO of The Angeles Clinic and Research Institute. Patients diagnosed with aggressive forms often require immediate intervention, while those with slower-growing types may manage their disease with targeted therapies or observation.
As researchers continue to advance treatment strategies, early diagnosis, and personalized care remain key to improving patient outcomes in the fight against non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
WATCH: Understanding R-CHOP treatment.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment depends on the type, stage, and how fast it grows. People with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma can expect to get a chemotherapy combination called R-CHOP, which is a drug cocktail consisting of chemotherapy drugs plus an antibody-drug and a steroid to treat diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
R-CHOP stands for:
- R: Rituximab (Rituxan) is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to a specific protein called CD20, which sits on the surface of B cells. It targets cancerous cells and destroys them.
- C: Cyclophosphamide is a type of chemotherapy drug
- D: Doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunomycin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
- V: Vincristine sulfate (Oncovin) is a type of chemotherapy drug
- P: Prednisone is a steroid that lowers inflammation
Patients receiving R-CHOP receive the drug in six cycles that are three weeks apart.
“R-CHOP is a cocktail of drugs. There are five different drugs in that recipe,” Dr. Jennifer Crombie, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, tells SurvivorNet.
R-CHOP side effects can include:
- Tiredness and weakness
- Hair loss
- Mouth sores
- Bruising and bleeding
- Increased risk of infection
- Appetite loss and weight loss
- Changes in bowel movements
Immunotherapy and targeted therapy are also treatment options for non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients.
Rituximab (Rituxan) was the first immunotherapy drug approved to treat some forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “Rituximab is the immunotherapy that has been approved the longest, and we have the most experience with lymphoma,” Dr. Chong tells SurvivorNet.
Rituxan has side effects, including fever, chills, swelling under the skin, itching, and mild shortness of breath.
Brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris) is a relatively new targeted treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. This drug is an antibody-drug conjugate that combines an antibody (a type of protein that recognizes foreign substances in the body) with a drug that treats cancer. It uses a particular protein to deliver medicine directly to the cancer cell.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can also be treated with radiation, which aims beams of intense energy at the cancer to stop cancer cells from growing and dividing.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you have been diagnosed with lymphoma, it’s important to ask your doctor a series of questions to get an idea of your next steps. To help you during this difficult time, SurvivorNet has some questions to kickstart your conversation with your physician.
- What type of lymphoma do I have?
- What does my pathology report say about my diagnosis?
- Should I get a second opinion before I explore possible treatment options?
- Based on my diagnosis, what do you anticipate my treatment path?
- What common side effects should I expect when I begin treatment?
- Will I be able to continue working and performing normal daily activities during treatment?
- Where can I get help working with the insurance company regarding treatment costs?
- Who do you recommend I get mental health help from during my treatment?
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