Sam Neill expresses gratitude for modern medicine that extended his life
Sam Neill was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma - a form of blood cancer in 2022. He has since gone into remission and in his latest interview, expressed his deep gratitude for the medical advancements that have made his recovery possible.
He underwent chemotherapy after his cancer diagnosis, but it stopped working after three months. He then switched his treatment to a rare anti-cancer drug which led him into remission.
In his recent appearance on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast, he expressed his gratitude and optimism, praising the "strides" that have been made in modern medicine over the past two decades.
“I’m in remission and as you see, I’m hard at work and enjoying life immensely,” he said.
“I’m very grateful for not just the wonderful care I’ve had from doctors and nurses and so on, but also the strides that have been made in treating these things in the last few years."
He then shared insights into his current treatment and acknowledged that while it remains challenging, things are improving.
“If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn’t be around to talk to you," he said.
“I go in [for treatment] once a month now. But it used to be three times a month and it’s down to once a month now.
“You have sort three or four horrible days afterwards and then all is well and you cheer up and I go to the gym and all that.”
Despite the advances in medicine, in a previous interview with Australian Story, he admitted that he's aware the drug won't continue working forever, saying: “I’m prepared for that.”
“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," he added of his cancer.
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