The intense treatment is administered in five stages.

Magda Szubanski has confirmed she is undergoing specialist treatment to combat what she has described as a “rare” and “very aggressive” form of blood cancer.

The beloved actress first revealed the heartbreaking news on May 29 on social media, and said she had been diagnosed with stage four Mantle Cell Lymphoma.

“It’s serious, but I’ve started one of the best treatments available (the Nordic protocol), and I’m lucky to be getting absolutely world-class care here in Melbourne,” she wrote on Instagram.

According to the Leukemia Foundation, it is a “relatively uncommon” lymphoma, which is a type of blood cancer. It makes up between five and 10 percent of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases.

The average age of diagnosis is between 60 and 65 years, and the cause is unknown.
Magda Szubanski revealed she is undergoing intense cancer treatment. (Credit: Instagram)
It is also two to three times more common in men, and while it can appear as low-grade under a microscope, it behaves as an aggressive lymphoma.

While she said it was “rough”, she was “hopeful”.

“I’m being lovingly cared for by friends and family, my medical team is brilliant, and I’ve never felt more held by the people around me,” the 64-year-old continued.

The foundation’s website said it is usually treated with a combination of chemotherapy and with or without other targeted therapy.

It is also treated with radiotherapy and targeted therapy, and with a combination of radiotherapy and stem cell transplants.

Magda said the “obscure cancer” was discovered “incidentally” when she was undergoing a routine breast screening.

What is Nordic Protocol?

The Nordic Protocol, also known as Maxi-CHOP, is a treatment regimen used to treat Mantle Cell Lymphoma, combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

It uses a combination of drugs to kill fast-growing cancer cells, prevent them from duplicating, reduce inflammation, and strengthen one’s immune system.

Administered in five phases, it begins with a few rounds and then proceeds to collect healthy cells from the blood for transplantation. Stem cells are then purged, and an antibody is provided to target cells.

During the fourth stage, patients then undergo intensive chemotherapy to combat the remaining cancer cells. After that, they are then infused with their purified stem cells.