Dolph Lundgren's Battle With Kidney Cancer
- Swedish actor and filmmaker Dolph Lundgren, 67, is officially “cancer free” after battling kidney cancer for nine years, as he recently underwent a lung ablation to remove a tumor, which was no longer cancerous. No other cancer cells have been found in his body, he said in a recent social media post.
- Kidney cancer develops when cells in the kidneys, a pair of bean-shaped organs each about the size of a fist, begin to grow out of control.
- Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. About 9 out of 10 kidney cancers are RCCs.
- After cancer and other health challenges, experts suggest working on their mental health with positive psychology. Positive psychology focuses on encouraging patients to feel positive and finding what brings a sense of vitality to their lives. According to psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman, the three wellsprings of vitality are connecting with others, contribution, or adding value to the lives of others, and feeling challenged.
- Overcoming adversity can seem daunting but having a plan can make it feel achievable. It’s important to remember that setting goals and breaking them into smaller steps is key. When going through a difficult time try setting a goal, making a plan, relying on others, and using positive self-talk.
The Hollywood icon and martial artist, known for his roles in “Rocky IV,” “Universal Soldier,” and “The Expendables,” shared a video clip of himself on Instagram this week to inform his fans, while sitting in a hospital bed at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
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Lundgren explains in the footage, ““Here I am at UCLA, I’m about to go in and get rid of that last tumor. Since there are no cancer cells in my body anymore, I guess I’ll be cancer-free so I’m looking forward to this procedure.
“Lung ablation. That’s what I’m doing.”
According to Keck Medicine of USC, an “ablation surgery is a minimally invasive surgical approach used to destroy tumors by ‘burning’ or ‘freezing’ them.”
Keck Medicine explains further, “This approach may be used if your tumor is no larger than 3 centimeters (a little smaller than the size of a ping-pong ball) or if surgery is not a good option for you.
“Ablation (meaning to destroy) is performed by inserting a needle or thin probe into the tumor through the skin. The needle or probe is guided by ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging.”
Lundgren concluded, “Yeah, it’s been a rough ride and really taught me how to live in the moment and enjoy every moment of life.
“I mean, it’s the only way to go.”
Expert Resources On Thriving Amid Adversity
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- Fear, Anger, Anxiety: You’re Entitled To Your Emotions
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Dolph Lundgren’s Secret 8-Year-Battle With Kidney Cancer
Last year, during Lundgren’s interview on “In Depth With Graham Bensinger,” the beloved actor admitted he was feeling “lucky to be alive” after being diagnosed with cancer in 2015, going into remission, and having the cancer return five years later only to learn it was mutating.
During the interview, shared on YouTube about five months ago, Lundgren took viewers through his emotional cancer journey.
Speaking in a one-on-one interview with Bensinger, Lundgren said a tumor in his kidney was found and taken out in 2015 in L.A., and a biopsy confirmed it was in fact cancerous.
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He explained, “Then I did scans every six months, then you do it every year and it was fine, you know, for five years. In 2020, I was back in Sweden and had some kind of acid reflux … I didn’t know what it was. So I did an MRI and they found there were a few more tumors around the area.
“The doctor called me … and said they found one more tumor in the liver. So I was like ‘Oh okay.’ At that point, it started to hit me that this is kind of something serious.”
He ultimately had surgery to remove six tumors.
During the interview, a video clip was played show the father of two recovering from the procedure.
“It’s the day after my surgery, they took out one tumor, then they took out another two they found, and another three small ones. So six all together,” he says. “Hopefully it’s cleaned out. If it dies, it dies,” he added, saying a similar phrase to his famous line in “Rocky IV”: “I can not be defeated. I beat all man. Someday, I will beat a real champion. If he dies, he dies.”
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However, scans showed that the tumor in his liver had grown “too big” and was “like the size of a lemon” and was unable to be removed via surgery.
Lundgren then had to start systemic therapy in the fall of 2021, which at the time, he was estimated to live for only another two or three years, something he worried was actually a shorter amount of time.
Recounting how he felt, Lundgren said, “You kind of look at your life going ‘Oh I’ve had a great life. I’ve had a freaking great life. I’ve lived like five lifetimes in one already with everything I’ve done. So It wasn’t like I was bitter about it. It was just like, you know, feel sorry for my kids and my fiance and people around you.
Thankfully, Lundgren didn’t give up and was determined to do what he could to fight off the cancer.
After he obtained a second opinion from oncologist Dr. Alexandra Drakaki, who performed another biopsy, his kidney cancer was found to be mutating like lung cancer. It, therefore, needed different treatment than what had been suggested to him.
“If I’d gone on the other treatment, I had about three or four months left,” he explained. “I couldn’t believe that that it would be that radical of a difference, that within three months, things were shrinking by 20, 30%.”
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The treatment that followed with medication led his tumors to decrease in size by 90%, which his doctor described as his improvement being “above expectations.”
We’re delighted to learn that Lundgren was able to get his last “dead tumor” removed this month as there is no longer any cancerous cells in his body anymore.
Learning About Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer develops when cells in the kidneys, a pair of bean-shaped organs each about the size of a fist, begin to grow out of control. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer. In fact, about 9 out of 10 kidney cancers are RCCs.
According to the National Cancer Institute, 81,610 new cases of kidney cancer are expected across the U.S this year and it’s a disease which can develop in both adults and children.
“The main types of kidney cancer are renal cell cancer, transitional cell cancer, and Wilms tumor,” the institute explains, noting that some “inherited conditions” may increase a person’s risk of getting the disease.
Luckily, advancement in kidney cancer treatment has proven effective for people battling the disease.
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The institute states, “NCI-funded researchers are working to advance our understanding of how to detect and treat kidney cancer. Much progress has been made over the last few decades, especially in identifying genes that can drive the development of kidney cancer.
“This knowledge has led to more effective treatments. Today, about 75% of people with kidney cancer will be alive 5 years after diagnosis.”
As for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the disease, it “is the most common malignant tumor of the kidney and constitutes over 90 percent of all renal malignancies.”
Here are some signs of kidney cancer to look out for:
- Blood in the urine (hematuria)
- Low back pain on one side (not caused by injury)
- A mass (lump) on the side or lower back
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss not caused by dieting
- Fever that is not caused by an infection and doesn’t go away
- Anemia (low red blood cell counts)
According to the National Cancer Institute, the following types of treatment are used for someone battling renal cell carcinoma:
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials
According to UCLA Health, kidney cancer can metastasize, or spread, to any part of the body through the blood or lymphatic system. When that happens, the first signs of cancer may not be specific to your kidneys.
Symptoms of metastatic kidney cancer may cause symptoms in the newly affected areas of the body including:
- The lungs, causing cough and shortness of breath
- The bones, resulting in bone pain or fracture
- The brain, presenting as headaches, confusion or seizures
That being said, all of these signs don’t necessarily mean you have cancer. Still, you should always bring up any changes to your health with your doctors.
“Traditionally, kidney cancer was diagnosed in people coming in with blood in the urine, a mass (in the) belly that was big enough that you could feel, or pain on that side,” Dr. Geoffrey Sonn, a urologic oncologist with Stanford Hospital and Clinics, previously told SurvivorNet.
“More recently because of the great increase in the use of imaging with ultrasound, CAT scans, MRI most kidney cancers (are) diagnosed incidentally, meaning a scan is done for another reason,” he added.
Dr. Sonn said that doctors finding a mass seen on imaging done for another reason is “the most common presentation” of the disease. Some patients without symptoms might discover their cancer through scans done for unrelated reasons, and other might discover the cancer after a scan to investigate abdominal pain.
Either way, it’s important to stay up-to-date on check ups and speak with your doctors about any possible signs of something being wrong.
“For localized kidney cancer, for relatively small masses that have not metastasized, most often patients feel nothing, and this is found on a scan done for another reason,” he explained.
“For larger masses of the kidney they may have pain on that side, they may see blood in the urine or a routine urine test may show a microscopic amount of blood in the urine that’s not enough to be seen visually but still will prompt further testing with imaging that shows the kidney cancer.”
Overcoming Adversity
Overcoming adversity can seem daunting. Many people think reciting upbeat mottos or pretending to be cheerful will help, but these solutions can make someone feel even more dejected than before. Instead, pay attention to the following steps to make meaningful change.
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- Set a goal. No matter what the situation, create a new goal for yourself. If you have just been diagnosed with cancer or a chronic illness, perhaps one goal would be to educate yourself about the disease and the possible treatments as much as possible.
- Make a plan. How will you achieve this goal? Your plan will help you focus on that goal. Dr. Siddhartha Ganguly refers to this determined, focused mindset as “the eye of the tiger,” which can help people dealing with health problems, such as lymphoma and other cancers. “You have to have the eye of the tiger to go through this grueling process that is necessary these days to get rid of these virulent and aggressive cancers,” Dr. Ganguly, a cancer specialist at Houston Methodist, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
- Rely on others. Spend time with people who show you unconditional support and encouragement. They will alleviate your stress and help you remember that you’re not alone in this! Dr. Samantha Boardman, a psychiatrist and author, previously told SurvivorNet that one “coping strategy that can be productive is reaching out and talking to others. Having support we know is really critical in the healing process.”
- Use positive self-talk. Leave messages with affirmations in places you frequent. Put notes around your mirror or the computer screen that say “You got this!” or “Keep going!” Cut out inspirational quotes from people you admire and surround yourself with their words. Dr. Boardman explained to SurvivorNet that “Positive emotions have unique benefits above and beyond managing negative emotions.”
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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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