Hollywood star says he is 'grateful' for his life as he gives emotional update on his blood cancer battle Do YOU have a story? Email [email protected] By Chikamso Chukwuenyem For Mailonline Published: 12:33 BST, 24 September 2024 | Updated: 12:34 BST, 24 September 2024 e-mail View comments Sam Neill has admitted that he is 'grateful' for his life as he attributes the success of his blood cancer battle to modern medicine. The actor, 77, was diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, an uncommon type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (blood cancer), in 2022.
Sam has been undergoing chemotherapy since March 2023, and has spoken out about how aggressive treatment is. He previously had infusions every two weeks, and commented in August that the sessions are 'very grim and depressing'. Sam told Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast: 'If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn't be around to talk to you.
' Sam Neill has admitted that he is 'grateful' for his life as he attributes the success of his blood cancer battle to modern medicine The actor, 77, was diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, an uncommon type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (blood cancer), in 2022. Sam has been undergoing chemotherapy since March 2023, and has spoken out about how aggressive treatment is He also said that he 'completely' puts his 'a brush or two' with cancer down to agrichemicals (fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides). Neill continued: 'I'm in remission and as you see, I'm hard at work and enjoying life immensely.
Read More Sam Neill opens up about brutal chemotherapy treatment following shock cancer diagnosis '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.' 'If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn't be around to talk to you." Sam, born in Northern Ireland, said: 'I go in [for treatment] once a month now.
But, it used to be three times a month.' '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.' The New Zealander shot to fame as dinosaur expert Dr.
Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park saga in 1990s, and last appeared in the role in 2022. Sam told Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast: 'If this had happened to me 20 years ago, I wouldn't be around to talk to you' The New Zealander shot to fame as dinosaur expert Dr. Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park saga in 1990s, and last appeared in the role just in 2022 Since 2022, Sam has been appearing in Australian drama The Twelve which follows the story of Kate Lawson, on trial for the alleged murder of her niece, and how the twelve jurors bring their personal lives and prejudices to the courtroom.
The Twelve was renewed for a third series in 2022. Read More New Zealand actor Sam Neill breaks down in tears over simple question in heartbreaking interview Sam has also appeared in The Jungle Book, The Vow, Thor: Love and Thunder, and television series Merlin and Peaky Blinders. He has a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the 1980s series Reilly, Ace Of Spies and an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of the titular wizard in 1998 miniseries Merlin, alongside the late James Earl Jones.
In August, Sam was left in tears during a heartbreaking interview when he was asked a simple question about his parents. Sam broke down on the debut episode of ABC series The Assembly when asked what the 'best lesson' he learned from his parents was. Stunned by the 'interesting' question put forth by one of the autistic interviewers in training, he struggled to hold back tears as he reminisced over his mother Priscilla.
'Wow, that's a really interesting question. I think they were..
. [chokes up] I don't know why that question has moved me so much, but it has,' the Jurassic Park star said. Since 2022, Sam has been appearing in Australian drama The Twelve which follows the story of Kate Lawson, on trial for the alleged murder of her niece, and how the twelve jurors bring their personal lives and prejudices to the courtroom.
'My parents were of the generation that went through a lot of things. They went through the [Great] Depression . My mother lost her father in the first [world] war.
'She grew up without her father. They went through a lot of stuff, but they were very stoic people.' Sam was born in Northern Ireland to Priscilla Beatrice (née Ingham) and Dermot Neill while his father, an army officer, was stationed in the country.
In the same episode, Sam joked that chemotherapy made him look like a 'bald thumb', adding: 'It was embarrassing, and I lost my beard and everything, and my dignity went with it.' New episodes of White Wine Question Time drop every Tuesday and Friday on all podcast platforms. Sam pictured with one of his three children, son Tim Cancer of the lymph nodes which affects 13,700 new people every year in the UK Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes, which is the body's disease-fighting network.
That network consists of the spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes and thymus gland. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can occur anywhere in the body but is usually first noticed in the lymph nodes around sufferers' necks. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma affects around 13,700 new people every year in the UK.
In the US, more than 74,600 people are diagnosed annually. It is more common in males than females, and it is commonly diagnosed either in a patient's early 20s or after the age of 55. Five-year survival rates: Survival can vary widely with NHL.
The general survival rate for five years is 70 percent, and the chance of living 10 years is approximately 60 percent. Symptoms include: Painless swellings in the neck, armpit or groin Heavy night sweating Unexplained weight loss of more than one-tenth of a person's body Itching Risk factors: over 75 have a weak immune system suffer from celiac disease have a family history of the condition have had other types of cancer Treatment: It depends on the number and locations of the body affected by Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Therapy typically includes chemotherapy.
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