Dolph Lundgren Remains Cancer-Free Three Years After Targeted Therapy and Cryotherapy

Dolph Lundgren has shown no evidence of disease for three years as of July 2026 after receiving targeted therapy for kidney cancer, Forbes reported. Lundgren first noticed blood in his urine in 2015 and received a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma while in Sweden. He underwent surgery that removed a tumor from his left kidney and was declared cancer-free at that time.

The cancer returned in 2020 and had spread to his spine, liver, and lungs. Lundgren began immunotherapy but experienced side effects that included loss of taste and appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, sores on his feet and hands, and blood clots in the lungs. A British doctor told him the treatment was not working and that he might have only a couple of years to live.

Lundgren sought a second opinion from Dr. Alexandra Drakaki at UCLA. She reviewed tissue from the 2015 tumor and identified an ALK mutation that had not been detected earlier. Lundgren then started treatment with alectinib.

Within a few months the tumors began shrinking. Within one year, 90 percent of the tumors were gone. Lundgren later underwent cryotherapy to address remaining tumors. The procedure caused bleeding and a liver abscess that required six months of antibiotics.

Lundgren is an Emeritus Member of the Board of Directors of the Kidney Cancer Association. He has urged patients to seek second opinions when facing a cancer diagnosis.