A Leukemia Cancer Survivor Living Life to the Fullest While In Remission
WWE superstar Roman Reigns, aka Joe Anoai, will be stepping away from the wrestling ring to star in next year’s “Street Fighter” movie based on the popular ’90s video game. Anoai now works a part-time schedule partly because of his diagnosis, which is now in remission.
Anoai was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a type of cancer of the white blood cells, when he was 22 years old. He currently takes medication as maintenance therapy while in remission.
In CML, blast cells (immature white blood cells) form and uncontrollably multiply and divide, impairing the body’s ability to make normal, healthy blood cells.
CML is not strongly associated with environmental factors or family history. Often, patients are diagnosed after a routine blood test suggests something may be wrong and are referred to a specialist.
Targeted therapies can specifically target CML cells while sparing healthy body cells. Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) are targeted therapies that block the abnormal protein made by the CML cells, eventually killing them.
WWE icon Roman Reigns—real name Joe Anoa’i—is stepping out of the wrestling ring and into a new arena: Hollywood. At 40, the wrestling superstar and leukemia survivor is set to appear in the upcoming live-action adaptation of “Street Fighter,” the beloved ‘90s video game franchise. The film, slated for release in Spring 2026, marks a major career pivot for Anoa’i, who’s long had his sights set on the silver screen.EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 02: Roman Reigns makes an entrance before the tag team match during the WWE 2025 SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium on August 02, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
While he’s made brief cameo appearances in other movie projects, this role could be his breakout moment. He’ll join a powerhouse cast that includes action heavyweight Jason Momoa, music mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, and fellow wrestling alum Cody Rhodes—bringing together a dynamic mix of star power and physicality.
Anoa’i’s casting comes on the heels of a headline-making appearance at WWE’s SummerSlam, the company’s second-largest annual event, held this August at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. His presence was a reminder of his enduring influence in the wrestling world—even as he begins to chart a new path.
Beyond the ring and the screen, Anoa’i has become a vocal advocate for leukemia awareness. He first revealed his diagnosis publicly in 2018 during a live WWE broadcast, stepping away from competition to undergo treatment after the disease returned.
His announcement was raw, emotional, and widely praised for its vulnerability. After successfully entering remission, he returned to WWE and reclaimed his place as one of the most dominant performers of the modern era.
Anoai’s leukemia was caught in an early stage, making it easier to treat. He revealed on an A&E documentary earlier this Spring that he takes medication since reentering remission.
“For leukemia, if you catch it in an early stage like I did, you’re able to take a medication, a very important medication, that I am still on to this day,” Anoai said in the A&E documentary “Biography: WWE Legends.”
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – AUGUST 02: Roman Reigns makes an entrance before the tag team match during the WWE 2025 SummerSlam at MetLife Stadium on August 02, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
“It’s pretty much just a conditioning of getting your body used to these toxic medications and just hoping for the best,” Anoai added.
Anoai has evolved into a real-life superhero, especially for young people facing cancer, such as himself.
“As a father and a leukemia survivor, I want to help others going through a similar experience,” Anoai previously wrote in an Instagram post.
Better Understanding Reigns’ Leukemia Diagnosis and How Patients Cope Diagnosed With It
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myelogenous leukemia, is a type of cancer of the white blood cells. As the disease progresses, CML cells crowd out healthy cells and eventually build up and spill over into the blood. Although CML usually grows slowly, it can also turn into a faster-growing acute leukemia, which is more challenging to treat.
WATCH: Diagnosing CML Without Obvious Symptoms
“What happens with CML is there is a cross of your chromosomes, so there is a cross between chromosome 9 and chromosome 22,” Dr. Eric Winer, clinical director of adult leukemia at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, tells SurvivorNet.
Crossing chromosomes creates a gene called BRC-ABL, which eventually causes the overproduction of cells seen in CML.
Patients diagnosed early tend to have better outcomes.
“It’s important for patients diagnosed with CML to understand that their prognosis is quite favorable,” Dr. Jay Yang, hematologist, medical oncologist, and leader of the Hematology-Oncology Multidisciplinary Team at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, tells SurvivorNet. “With modern treatments, most patients will go on to live healthy and productive lives with a normal life expectancy.”
Typical Leukemia Symptoms
Symptoms for CML are often vague, as many other ailments can cause them. However, common symptoms include:
Weakness
Fatigue
Night sweats
Weight loss
Fever
Bone pain
An enlarged spleen (which may be felt as a mass under the left side of the ribcage)
Pain or a sense of fullness in the stomach
Feeling full after a small amount of food
WATCH: The Different Phases of CML Explained
Treating Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
The treatment path that you and your doctor take may depend on several factors, including your age, overall health, and whether the cancer has spread or metastasized to other parts of the body. However, common treatment options to fight leukemia include:
Chemotherapy
Targeted therapy
Radiation therapy
Bone marrow or stem cell transplantEngineering immune cells to fight leukemia with CAR-T cell therapy, in which the body’s germ-fighting T cells are reengineered to fight the cancer and infused back into your body. CAR-T might be an option for children and young adults.
WATCH: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy
Dr. Eric Winer, Clinal Director for Adult Leukemia at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, explains to SurvivorNet how TKI treatment works in a way many video gamers can relate to.
“To oversimplify, imagine the videogame Pac-Man. These energy packets [Adenosine triphosphates (ATPs). These are energy stores within cells] that go into the mouth of the Pac-Man [BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase], causing it to change its conformation and shape [This] forces the CML cells to multiply. All of the TKIs block the entrance of the energy packet into the mouth of the Pac-Man, [so it] cannot change its confirmation,” Dr. Winer explains.
There are several TKIs on the market. Those approved as the first line of defense against CML include:
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