In an inspiring update on his health battle, Sam Neill has expressed his gratitude for modern medicine's advancements in blood cancer treatments, stating "If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn't be around." The venerable actor, now 77, was diagnosed with stage three angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, an uncommon type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had to briefly step away from the spotlight. The beloved star, familiar to millions as the dino expert Alan Grant from the Jurassic Park saga, recently shared on Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast that he is back to work and relishing life to the fullest.
Elaborating on his current status, Neill mentioned: "I'm in remission and as you see, I'm hard at work and enjoying life immensely." Acknowledging the outstanding progress in treatment options, he told Thornton: "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." Reflecting on how times have changed, he added: "If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn't be around to talk to you.
" The celebrated New Zealand actor, originally hailing from Northern Ireland, discussed his ongoing treatment routine, noting: "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." Explaining the recovery process, he revealed: "You have sort three or four horrible days afterwards, an.