‘Rocky IV’ star Dolph Lundgren reveals he’s cancer-free: ‘It’s been a rough ride’

Rocky actor Dolph Lundgren has emerged victorious following his multi-year battle with cancer.

The 67-year-old announced this week via an Instagram video that he no longer has cancer cells in his body, after previously announcing in May 2023 that he’d privately endured treatment for cancer for eight years, and that a doctor estimated he had up to three years to live after his medical team found and removed a tumor in his kidney.

“Alright, here I am [at] UCLA, about to go in and get rid of that last tumor — and, 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,” Lundgren said in the video, which showed him in a hospital bed while wearing a medical cap. “Yeah, it’s been a rough ride and really taught me how to live in the moment and enjoy every moment of life. It’s the only way to go. Alright, they’re coming to get me, see ya!”

Lundgren’s celebrity friends showed support in the comments section for the video, with rapper Busta Rhymes and actor Terry Crews commenting with emojis.

“Wonderful news! So happy to hear this, Dolph. God bless,” wrote Chuck Norris, while Ian Ziering added: “Stay strong Dolph.. there’s a long road ahead of you!”

When Lundgren initially opened up about his cancer journey, he noted that, after the initial diagnosis in 2015, he suffered complications in 2020 that led to further treatment.

“I was back in Sweden and had some kind of acid reflux,” Lundgren recalled in a 2023 interview with  In Depth With Graham Bensinger. “I didn’t know what it was. So I did an MRI and they found there were a few more tumors around the area.”

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He said that six tumors were removed during surgery, but that his doctors couldn’t easily remove an additional liver tumor that was the “size of a lemon,” leading him to begin systemic therapy.

In addition to his role as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV and Creed II, Lundgren also starred in Masters of the Universe and The Punisher movie in 1989, based on the Marvel character that would eventually receive his own TV series (with Jon Bernthal in the role) in 2017.

Watch Lundgren discuss his health in the video above.