Sam Neill was cancer-free just months before his death. His rare condition, explained

Sam Neill, the actor best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in the "Jurassic Park" franchise, has died at 78. In April, Neill had announced that he was cancer-free after undergoing a clinical trial in Australia where he underwent CAR T-cell therapy. He had been diagnosed with stage 3 angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer, in 2022.

The family has yet to disclose Neill's cause of death. But though it was sudden, Neill's family wrote that they were "blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free" and expressed "their deepest gratitude" to hospital staff "for their incredible care."

What is angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, and how does CAR T-cell therapy work? Here's what to know.

Signs, symptoms of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a rare, aggressive blood cancer that affects your T cells, which are a type of white blood cell. It can spread to over areas of your body, like the lungs, liver or bone marrow. It is a subtype of non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma, and accounts for about 4% of all lymphoma cases in the United States.

According to Cleveland Clinic, symptoms can develop quickly. They may include:

• Unexplained, recurrent fever
• Night sweats
• Skin rash or itchiness
• Shortness of breath
• Swollen joints
• Swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpit or groin (usually without pain)
• Unexplained weight loss
• Weakened immune system, which can result in the development of autoimmune diseases

AITL is most common in people over the age of 65.

What is CAR T-cell therapy?

Chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy for some blood cancers that works by turning your T cells, or white blood cells in your immune system, into "more efficient cancer-fighting machines," according to the Cleveland Clinic.

For some patients, this therapy can cure their cancer. For others, it can help them live longer, the clinic adds.

In an April 2026 interview with Australia's 7News, Neill shared that he found success with the clinical trial after his original chemotherapy stopped working after five years.

"I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out – which wasn't ideal obviously," he shared. After participating in the clinical trial, he had a scan that showed "no cancer" in his body.

"That's an extraordinary thing," he said. "It's science at its best."

Contributing: Bryan Alexander, KiMI Robinson, Sara Moniuszko, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sam Neill was cancer-free just months before his death. His rare condition, explained

Reporting by Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 10:15 AM.