"An Extraordinary Thing": Sam Neill Declared Cancer-Free After Breakthrough Gene Therapy
Actor Sam Neill, 78, reveals he is cancer-free after undergoing genetic CAR T-cell therapy for stage-three non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
By: AXL Media
Published: Apr 29, 2026, 7:12 AM EDT
Source: RNZ Pacific
From "Possibly Dying" to Clear Scans
The news marks a major turnaround from 2023, when Neill released a memoir detailing his diagnosis and admitting he was "possibly dying." In a recent interview with Australia’s Channel Seven News, Neill shared that his initial treatments had stopped working, leaving him at a loss.
"I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn't ideal, obviously," Neill remarked. However, his latest scans show no trace of cancer in his body, a result he described as "extraordinary."
The Science: CAR T-cell Therapy
Neill’s recovery was made possible through CAR T-cell therapy. This advanced form of immunotherapy involves:
Extraction: Collecting a patient's T-cells (infection-fighting white blood cells).
Categories
Topics
Related Coverage
- Novel Stem Cell Memory CAR T Therapy Achieves Cancer Remission Without Preparatory Chemotherapy
- U.S. Multiple Myeloma Mortality Rates Plummet Following Adoption of CAR T-Cell and Bispecific Therapies
- University of Cologne Researchers Identify cFLIP Protein as Critical Vulnerability in Aggressive ABC-DLBCL Lymphoma
- Specialized Medicaid Plans for Foster Children Create Critical Care Gaps and Provider Shortages Across Multiple States