Dolph Lundgren has opened up about his health struggles in his recently released memoir, “Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle.” In the book, the Swedish actor reveals that he contemplated medical aid in dying during his battle with cancer. Lundgren’s candid reflections provide insight into the emotional and physical challenges he faced while dealing with the illness.
Lundgren, now 68, has described his cancer battle as a journey that lasted nearly a decade. He was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015, when doctors found a cancerous tumor in his kidney, according to People. His film work during this period included Aquaman and Creed 2, according to People. However, his cancer returned in 2020, when doctors discovered more tumors. The actor later revealed in 2024 that he was cancer-free.
Because he did not know how much his health would deteriorate as the cancer progressed, lundgren wrote that he was at one point thinking about ending his own life. At that point, Lundgren said he was depressed and had almost lost hope after years of cancer treatment.
As his condition became more difficult, Lundgren said he became afraid that the kidney cancer could eventually kill him. He said he began thinking about medical aid in dying, also known as assisted dying. He said his brother, Johan, was prepared to help him if he eventually became too sick to make the decision or carry it out himself, according to People, citing Lundgren’s memoir. He said he might still have needed someone to help him if he reached that stage. Pramell said Lundgren wanted to “go out in glory like a Viking” because he did not want his loved ones to watch him suffer or slowly lose his health, according to People. Lundgren said he discussed the possibility with his brother, but the conversation did not go any further. He said a major change came soon afterward when he met Dr. Alexandra Drakaki, an oncologist at UCLA Health, according to People. Lundgren said that without the correct diagnosis and treatment, doctors believed he could have had only four or five months left to live.
He underwent treatment and continued working in movies during his illness. After doctors removed the kidney tumor, Lundgren went into remission. This led to another round of treatments. Lundgren also wrote about countries such as Switzerland, where assisted dying is legally permitted in certain circumstances for terminally ill people. His longtime friend and agent, Johan Pramell, recalled how Lundgren was thinking about his final days. He believed he was dealing with a form of kidney cancer that was not responding properly to treatment. The new treatment ultimately worked, changing the course of Lundgren’s cancer battle.
