Actor Dolph Lundgren Reveals 8-Year-Long Battle With Cancer, Points Fingers To Steroid Use

Swedish actor and martial artist Dolph Lundgren recently shared some shocking information.

The "Rocky IV" star revealed that he has been in an 8-year-long battle with cancer and seemingly suggested his steroid use for bodybuilding may be the cause.

Lundgren shared that he was given less than three years to live by a particular doctor, which was a sign that his health was in critical condition.

The actor has been in remission as he shared footage post his surgery, where he revealed that about five tumors were taken out of him.

Read on to find out more details.

The Swedish actor known for his roles in iconic action movies such as "Rocky IV" and "The Expendables" recently revealed that he had been battling cancer for the past eight years.

In an emotional interview on the "In Depth with Graham Besinger" show, per Daily Mail, Lundgren shared that he was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015, but it left after he went into remission. It resurfaced again in 2020, and this time was told that he had a slight chance of survival as the doctor gave him less than three years to live.

"In 2020, I was back in Sweden and had some acid reflux. I didn't know what it was, so I did an MRI," he recalled about how he learned of the resurfaced cancer.

He continued, "They found one more tumor in the liver, so I was like, 'aw sh*t okay.' At that point, it hit me that this was something serious. The surgeon called me and said it had grown; it was too big and grown to the size of a small lemon."

Throughout his battle with cancer, Lundgren continued to work on films and TV shows, including the hit series "Arrow."

In the interview, Lundgren speculated that his use of steroids for bodybuilding may have caused him to develop cancer.

Lundgren, now 65 years old, began using steroids in the 1980s when he was both bodybuilder and starred in several hit action movies. He admitted that he was not fully aware of the risks involved then and was focused solely on building the perfect physique for his films.

"I tried steroids back in the 80s, 90s. I don't know if that is something to do with cancer; of course, it struck me as it could have something to do with it," the "Universal Soldier" star shared. "I thought about it; you always think you've made a mistake. I think maybe there is some connection between testosterone therapy and cancer."

He added, "I was on steroids when I was younger, on and off for maybe ten years. Depending on the kind of movie I made."

In a clip seen before his emotional interview with Bensinger kicked off, Lundgren revealed that he'd just completed surgery to remove six tumors from his body. The "Creed II" actor made gestures with his hand in the video to illustrate the size of the cancer.

"It's the day after my surgery; they removed one tumor, then another two they found, and another three small ones. That makes six altogether," he said, as he could be seen in a hospital gown.

He added, "Hopefully it's cleaned out; if it dies, it dies," referencing his memorable catchphrase in the 1985 film "Rocky IV," after his character Ivan Drago kills Apollo Creed during their exhibition match.

According to the Daily Mail, Lundgren's fianceé, Emma Krokdal, and his daughter, Ida, shared their account of the actor's illness and its effect on them with Bensinger.

"His mouth got sore, his hands got sore, and he couldn't eat anything," Krokdal recounted. "That was a struggle; he was losing weight. We realized it was much worse than we thought; they started talking about tumors in the lung, stomach, spine, outside the kidneys."

The "Men of War" actor's daughter, Ida Lundgren, also shared with the host that she's already examining life without her father.

"It hit me when I had a deep conversation with my Dad about what would happen if he passed away," she said. "That was a horrible conversation; it was a tough time. I have to be strong for my sister."