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Bruce Campbell says he has about 5 years to live amid cancer battle

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Possible big advancements in treatment for cancer
Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for ReedPop, FILE
ByBethany Braun-Silva
September 05, 2026, 6:23 PM

Bruce Campbell is sharing a candid update on his cancer battle, saying doctors have told him he has about five years to live.

The 68-year-old actor, best known for starring as Ash Williams in the "Evil Dead" franchise, opened up about his prognosis during an appearance this week on "The Adam Carolla Show."

Campbell, who has not publicly disclosed the type of cancer he has, said his current life expectancy is five years, "give or take."

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"I've decided though, pretty specifically, to live with it, not die from it," Campbell told Carolla.

The actor said he is deliberately avoiding spending too much time researching his diagnosis or reading about the experiences of others with the same disease.

"The cancer rabbit hole is enormous," Campbell said, adding that he could find groups filled with thousands of people facing the same diagnosis but has chosen not to do so. "I won't touch it with a 10-foot pole."

In this March 15, 2023, file photo ,Bruce Campbell attends a Q&A following the "Evil Dead Rise" headliner screening during the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festival at The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas.
Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures, FILE

Instead, Campbell said he is focusing on his work and moving forward with plans to promote his upcoming independent film, "Ernie & Emma," which he wrote, directed, produced and stars in.

"I'm moving on. I got a movie to promote," Campbell said. "You have to make this decision of, 'Well, okay, but do I have to stop everything that I'm doing because of this?' Well, no."

Campbell added that he currently feels "perfect" physically, even as he acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding his illness.

"The cancer, it creeps me out because of the ancillary stuff that it does," he said. "You don't die from cancer. You die from what cancer does to you."

A spokesperson for Campbell declined to offer additional comment when contacted by ABC News.

Campbell first publicly revealed his cancer diagnosis in March, in a post on X, explaining at the time that the disease was "treatable, not curable."

"I apologize if that's a shock — it was to me," Campbell wrote in a statement shared on social media. He said he did not plan to disclose additional details about the diagnosis but wanted fans to understand why his professional schedule would change.

"Appearances and cons and work in general need to take back seat to treatment," he said at the time.

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