Actor Dolph Lundgren has revealed that seeking a second medical opinion saved his life after he spent years receiving incorrect treatment for cancer.
The 68-year-old was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2015, but the misdiagnosis allowed the disease to spread to his lungs, spine, stomach, and liver.
Ineffective medications failed to control the condition until he sent his complete medical records to a specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles.
"Getting a second opinion, that saved my life," Lundgren said.
He noted that the oversight almost cost him his life before the proper treatment began taking effect.
"I was misdiagnosed [and] had I not sent all my charts and everything to [the] doctor at UCLA, I wouldn't have been sitting here right now," he said.
Relief After a Shocking Error
The adjustment in his medical regimen brought rapid improvements after the initial shock over the error.
"It was both [disbelief and relief]," Lundgren said.
He added that the relief settled in once the new regimen yielded positive outcomes.
"Disbelief first, and then we started the second treatment, the new treatment, [and] it was a relief that it started working quite quickly," he said.
Despite his frustration over the error, Lundgren and his wife, Emma Krokdal, opted not to file a legal malpractice lawsuit.
"I decided it [was] going to be a mess," Lundgren said.
He explained that he held no malice toward his initial medical team.
"Who needs it?
I was still going through treatment, and then I realized that they weren't doing it out of spite; they just had made a mistake.
People make mistakes," he said.
Lundgren continued working on feature film productions, including Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Expend4bles, while managing his symptoms in secret with his wife's assistance.
"[Emma] was there and helped me with the treatments, with my diet because I could only eat certain things.
I had sores in my mouth and so forth," Lundgren said.
He emphasized that her presence was vital to his ongoing recovery.
"She was just fantastic. So without her, it would have been very, very difficult, I think, to pull through," he said.
Clean Scans and a New Outlook
Lundgren reported that his medical scans have remained clean for approximately three years, though he continues to undergo routine examinations every four to five months.
"Actually, I'm kind of back to where I was before I started, without the crazy burning the candle at both ends sort [of] attitude, which I've had since I was young.
But I gave that up," he said.
He recognized the psychological reality of living with a history of cancer.
"Obviously I'm aware of the fact that psychologically that something could come back," Lundgren said.
He expressed acceptance regarding his health journey moving forward.
"And look, it's just part of life. I can't change that," he said.
The actor's health struggles are featured in his documentary film Dolph: Unbreakable, released on digital platforms on October 6, 2026, which features appearances by Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"I do feel that it was a blessing for me," Lundgren said.
He stated that the health crisis forced him to re-evaluate his lifestyle limits.
"If it had not happened, I would have pushed too hard somewhere, and some other kind of catastrophic breakdown physically, maybe because I was just doing too much," he said.
Reflecting on his childhood in Sweden and his long Hollywood career, Lundgren described the filmmaking process as therapeutic.
"Doing a documentary or writing a book, it's going back down memory lane, and you're revisiting your past, your decisions, why you did certain things," he said.
He stated that he hopes his personal challenges encourage others facing adversity.
"It's sort of therapeutic," Lundgren said.
He voiced a desire to inspire audiences facing difficult situations.
"I hope there's some inspiration there," he said.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining an optimistic mindset during hard times.
"I hope people can see that there's a way to make it through hard times if you really want to, if you have the right attitude," he said.
Lundgren now focuses on enjoying his daily life alongside his close family and friends.
"I just want to enjoy every day," he said.
He concluded that he remains deeply appreciative of his current life and surroundings.
"Every day, I look at the sky.
I look at the sunrise and realize I'm here in this beautiful world and with plenty of possibilities and all these people around me that I love, that led me back, and what the hell?
Well, I got nothing to complain about," Lundgren said.
