Sir Sam Neill says he is cancer-free and credits a groundbreaking new therapy for it.<\/p>\n
The 78-year-old New Zealand actor, who lives in Central Otago, was diagnosed with stage three blood cancer four years ago.<\/p>\n
“I’ve been living with a particular type of lymphoma. I was on chemotherapy and the pretty miserable business but it was keeping me alive,” Neill told 7News.<\/p>\n
“Then the chemo stopped working. I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn’t ideal, obviously.”<\/p>\n
Sir Sam ultimately underwent CAR T-cell therapy to train his immune cells to recognise and destroy cancer, and the results have been remarkable.<\/p>\n
The actor – whose film credits include The Hunt For Red October, The Piano, The Dish and Jurassic Park – said: “I’ve just had a scan just now and there is no cancer in my body.<\/p>\n
“That’s an extraordinary thing. I’m very, very excited that this can happen.”<\/p>\n
He first revealed news of his cancer battle in his book Did I Ever Tell You This?, which he started work on following his diagnosis.<\/p>\n
“I’m not afraid to die, but it would annoy me,” he said at the time.<\/p>\n
“Because I’d really like another decade or two, you know? We’ve built all these lovely terraces, we’ve got these olive trees and cypresses.<\/p>\n
“I want to be around to see it all mature. And I’ve got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big. But as for the dying? I couldn’t care less.”<\/p>\n