Martial arts film icon Jet Li recently revealed that he underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his neck.
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The 62-year-old noticed a lump on his neck in April, on his birthday. The actor sought medical advice after it didn’t improve. “I touched it and it was a little hard,” the Lethal Weapon 4 star said in a video posted on Chinese social media site Weibo in August via The Daily Star.
“I went to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist. They said it might be a tooth swelling, with gum inflammation affecting the lymph nodes,” he added.
The UInleased star took medication for a week with no improvement. Tests, including an ultrasound and biopsy, revealed a benign tumor, though some questions remained.
“I was not very busy in August, so I consulted the doctor again. They said that to be on the safe side, it should still be removed for a biopsy to get a clearer picture,” Li continued.
Fortunately, the surgery brought encouraging news.
“I went for the surgery, and the doctor said after the biopsy that it was 100% benign,” Li explained.
Jet Li Reflects on His Surgery to Remove His Tumor: ‘It Will be Fine’
The Once Upon a Time in China legend reflected on his tumor surgery. He told fans he went in prepared for any result.
“If there’s a problem, you fix it; If you have to remove it, then do so. It will be fine,” Li said. “If the tumour had not been benign, I would have faced it too.”
“Even if there’s a one-in-10,000 or one-in-100,000 chance of dying on the operating table, I would face it too,” the confident actor insisted.
According to the Daily Star, he said his wife, Nina Li Chi, supported him in whatever decision he made about the surgery.
The couple has been married since 1999 and are proud parents to two daughters, Jane (25) and Jada (22). Additionally, he has two older daughters, Li Si (37, who is getting married soon) and Li Taimi (36), from his previous marriage to actress Huang Qiuyan.
“Some people asked about me with a positive attitude, some had doubts, while some said I deserved it,” Jet Li added about his tumor scare.
“I can understand all these attitudes. Let’s share our thoughts and confront the discussions on life and death,” he concluded.