Neighbours legend gives update on terminal cancer diagnosis

Health & Fitness
16 Dec 2025 • 5:15 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Ian Smith, known for playing Harold Bishop in Neighbours, has expressed joy at outliving a terminal cancer diagnosis he received in 2024.
  • Doctors had predicted Smith, 87, would likely die by March 2025 from terminal pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma, a rare and aggressive lung cancer.
  • He is currently undergoing immunotherapy treatment, which has slowed the progression of his cancer, and plans to spend Christmas fishing.
  • Earlier this year, Smith withdrew from plans for voluntary assisted dying, despite wholeheartedly approving of the practice, due to concerns about keeping the drugs at home.
  • Smith urged men to visit their doctors promptly for any health concerns, emphasising that early detection is crucial for cancer treatment.

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