Spartacus star Andy Whitfield dies at 39

[allezfred]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/spartacus-a...010234436.html

Andy Whitfield, star of the US television series Spartacus: Blood And Sand, has died at the age of 39, his manager has said.

The Welsh-born actor, who played the title role in the controversial swords and sandals drama, had been diagnosed with cancer.

He was found to have non-Hodgkin lymphoma during a routine check-up last year just before filming began on the second season of the drama, set during the Roman Empire.

[gingercrush]

Yes rather sad isn't it. Loved him in Spartacus and there was a period where it looked like he may have fought it and be able to return and then he just relapsed

Very sad.

[CantALoop]

Way too young RIP. Andy was in amazing shape and yet cancer's cruel and often random nature claimed his life.

[Buzz]

Gone way too soon. R.I.P.

[MarieM]

WOW Didn't think he would survive the cancer, but that's so sad

[myhoneyhoney]

so very sad. Hubby and I watched the 2 seasons of Spartacus.

[topaz]

I read about this last night. Sorry for him and his family.

Spartacus and Game of Thrones are my favorite series right now. Andy's acting in the first season was fabulous.

[Yehudi]

Very sad. All indications were that he was responding well to treatment but it just goes to show you that cancer is persistent, unpredictable, and unforgiving.

[orbitz]

Very sad.

The cancer was diagnosed during a routine check-up. How many people get regular check-up? The only doctor I see every year without fail is my dentist; otherwise, I only go to a doctor when absolutely necessary, which is once in a blue moon.

[genegri]

I didn't know much about the actor. But non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is unfortunately something I know a bit about. What a cruel disease!

[modern_muslimah]

Cancer is such a cruel disease! Very sad that he died so young from this. This disease claims way too many people in the prime of their lives. I only hope that we're eventually able to find a cure.

[danceronice]

Very sad.

The cancer was diagnosed during a routine check-up. How many people get regular check-up? The only doctor I see every year without fail is my dentist; otherwise, I only go to a doctor when absolutely necessary, which is once in a blue moon.

Unfortunately, "cancer" is a generalized term, and there are dozens of kinds, and the world being what it is the ones most likely to kill you fast are hard to spot until they're fairly advanced, so even a routine checkup can miss them. Non-Hodgkins is one of those, and if you catch it late you are in big trouble. (My cousin is alive today, 15-odd years on, after a stage III diagnosis only because his sister was a marrow-donor match. He even beat the odds on radiation--they said he'd be infertile. I now have a first cousin once removed from him.) My friend's father, who had a rare type of lung cancer, was fine at her wedding and dead by Christmas. Some of the nasty ones are just very, very hard to see until it's too late.

[shan]

[walei]

so sad to hear this. He will always be Sparty.

[CantALoop]

Unfortunately, "cancer" is a generalized term, and there are dozens of kinds, and the world being what it is the ones most likely to kill you fast are hard to spot until they're fairly advanced, so even a routine checkup can miss them. Non-Hodgkins is one of those, and if you catch it late you are in big trouble.

So true. I forgot exactly where I heard it, but I have heard cancer described as thousands of diseases and at the same time one. There are so many cellular mechanisms and types of cells that can lead to uncontrolled cellular growth, and so many environmental and genetic factors that can contribute to it.

As a cancer researcher, I know it's not very scientific to say a disease is unfair, but sometimes a person can do all the right things towards living a healthy lifestyle and yet be struck down by cancer in the blink of an eye.

[joeperryfan]

I've started watching Spartacus recently and even though the Spartacus character sometimes annoys me I thought David was a lovely person and am really sad to read he passed...