Sam Neill has announced he is cancer-free after battling stage 3 blood cancer for five years.
The “Jurassic Park” star, 78, shared the good news in an interview with Australia’s Network 7 News that aired on Sunday. He said he was undergoing chemotherapy to keep himself alive, which he called “miserable,” but then the chemotherapy stopped working.
“I was at a loss and it looked like I was coming to the end, which obviously wasn’t ideal,” he recalled.
Neil then underwent a clinical trial for a type of CAR-T therapy that genetically modifies blood cells. According to the American Cancer Society, CAR-T therapy is a personalized immunotherapy that trains a person’s own immune cells to recognize and destroy cancer.
“I just had a test and there was no cancer in my body, which is amazing,” Neil said.
He also said he wanted to go back to work, saying with a smile, “It’s time to make the next movie.”
In an Instagram post on Monday, Neal shared more details about his cutting-edge cancer treatment and advocated for a new cancer treatment.
“We were sailing into uncharted waters. No one knew exactly what we could expect,” he said of the trial. “I think I was the first one off the block, and the term for me was ‘patient zero.'”
Neil said he was still undergoing a “miraculous” turnaround in his battle with cancer.
“But, of course, it’s not a miracle. This is science at its best,” he wrote. “And I am so grateful for the many people who care deeply about their work and their patients.”
The New Zealand actor admitted he was “uncomfortable” talking about his cancer, but explained that he posted it in the hope that more innovative treatments would be made available to people in need.
Neil supports the Snowdome Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that raises funds to support research and clinical trials that promote new treatments and cures for blood cancer patients in Australia.
Neil spoke about his cancer diagnosis in his 2023 memoir Did I Ever Tell You This? In his book, he revealed that he first noticed the swollen glands in March 2022 while working on press for Jurassic World Dominion.
He was soon diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.
In an interview with Australian Story in October 2023, Ms Neil said she was “prepared” for death but “not at all afraid” of it.
“I know I have it, but I don’t really care,” he said of his lymphoma.
“It’s out of my control. If you can’t control it, don’t get involved in it,” he pointed out.
