Dolph Lundgren has revealed that he once came close to pursuing medical aid in dying while battling cancer. The Swedish actor shared the details in his new memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle.
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. He underwent treatment and continued working in movies during his illness. His film work during this period included Aquaman and Creed 2, according to People.
Dolph Lundgren considered assisted dying
After doctors removed the kidney tumor, Lundgren went into remission. However, his cancer returned in 2020, when doctors discovered more tumors. This led to another round of treatments. 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.
Lundgren wrote that he was at one point thinking about ending his own life because he did not know how much his health would deteriorate as the cancer progressed. 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.
Lundgren also wrote about countries such as Switzerland, where assisted dying is legally permitted in certain circumstances for terminally ill people. He said he might still have needed someone to help him if he reached that stage. His longtime friend and agent, Johan Pramell, recalled how Lundgren was thinking about his final days. 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.
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What is medical aid in dying?
Medical aid in dying (MAID) generally involves a terminally ill patient receiving medication that the patient takes themselves to end their life. This is different from euthanasia, where another person, such as a doctor, administers the medication. According to Dignity in Dying, a British organization that tracks assisted-dying laws, 10 European countries have laws allowing some form of medical aid in dying.
Lundgren’s cancer diagnosis changed
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.
At that point, Lundgren said he was depressed and had almost lost hope after years of cancer treatment. He believed he was dealing with a form of kidney cancer that was not responding properly to treatment.
Drakaki then discovered something that changed Lundgren’s situation. She told him that he had actually been misdiagnosed and that the cancer was not the kidney cancer doctors had believed he had. Instead, Drakaki determined that Lundgren had lung cancer. The cancer cells found in his kidney had a mutation that is fairly common in lung cancer, Lundgren wrote in his memoir, according to People.
New cancer treatment saved his life
This explained why the cancer medicines Lundgren had been taking for the previous two years were not working. The treatment had been based on the earlier diagnosis, while his cancer required a different approach. After identifying the correct type of cancer, Drakaki put Lundgren on a new and more appropriate treatment plan. Lundgren credited her with saving his life.
Lundgren said that without the correct diagnosis and treatment, doctors believed he could have had only four or five months left to live. The new treatment ultimately worked, changing the course of Lundgren’s cancer battle. The actor later revealed in 2024 that he was cancer-free.
Lundgren’s story therefore went from considering assisted dying during what he believed was an untreatable cancer battle to discovering that his cancer diagnosis was wrong and receiving treatment that worked. His memoir, Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle, details this experience as part of his wider story about facing cancer, continuing his career and finding hope after years of treatment.