“Given three months to live”... Japanese actor urgently hospitalized with a blood disorder [Health Talk]

[Financial News] Japanese actor Kagami Saki, 41, who was once given three months to live after being diagnosed with leukemia, has suspended her activities after being urgently hospitalized with a blood disorder. Even after treatment, leukemia can recur despite reaching remission, a state in which cancer cells are no longer detected in tests, so ongoing follow-up is necessary.

According to Japanese media reports on the 11th, Kagami Saki posted a video titled “An Announcement” to her YouTube channel on the 5th, revealing that she had been urgently hospitalized with a blood disorder.

“I was once told I was unlikely to live more than three months because of leukemia, but I later went into remission,” she said. “However, I have now been urgently hospitalized again with a blood disorder.” She added, “I’m sorry to share this news so suddenly,” and said, “I’ll be taking a break from work for the time being. I’m sorry.”

Kagami Saki reportedly also posted on social media before her hospitalization that she had been running a high fever. However, she did not disclose the specific diagnosis, treatment details, or when she might return.

She made her debut in 2001 and won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Newcomers. She later appeared in Kamen Rider Kiva and Indigo Night, among other productions, and in 2023 also appeared in TV Asahi’s drama Partner Season 22.


“Remission,” which Kagami Saki said she reached after her past leukemia treatment, is a medical term used in cancer care. It refers to a state in which cancer cells have greatly decreased or are no longer detectable in tests, and the signs and symptoms of the disease have lessened. Leukemia is a blood cancer in which abnormal blood cells multiply excessively in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the tissue that produces red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets; when leukemia cells increase, normal blood cell production is disrupted.


Seoul National University Cancer Hospital describes complete remission in acute myeloid leukemia as a state in which blood test results return to normal, leukemia cells fall to below 5% in a bone marrow test, and symptoms of the disease disappear. However, complete remission does not mean that every leukemia cell in the body has disappeared. A small number of cancer cells may remain, too few to be detected by standard tests, and could later multiply again, causing a relapse.

Leukemia treatment and progression vary depending on the type, including whether it is acute or chronic, and myeloid or lymphocytic. Kagami Saki has not disclosed the exact type of leukemia she was diagnosed with in the past.



Leukemia causes a range of symptoms because it interferes with normal blood cell production. In particular, shortages of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets can lead to anemia, infections, and bleeding problems.

According to the National Cancer Information Center of the National Cancer Center’s information on “Acute Myeloid Leukemia,” a drop in red blood cells can cause easy fatigue, dizziness, or shortness of breath. A decrease in platelets can lead to easy bruising, nosebleeds, or bleeding gums, while impaired white blood cell function can result in infections and fever.

Symptoms of acute leukemia can sometimes progress rapidly over a period of days to weeks. However, high fever, fatigue, and bleeding can also occur with other illnesses, so leukemia is not diagnosed based on these symptoms alone.

Kagami Saki also reported a high fever before her hospitalization, but the specific cause of her current blood disorder has not been disclosed. The fact that she had leukemia in the past is not, by itself, grounds to conclude that this hospitalization is due to a leukemia relapse.



If leukemia is suspected, blood tests are first used to check white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet counts, among other things. Bone marrow tests and chromosome and genetic tests are then conducted depending on the results and symptoms.

Seoul National University Cancer Hospital says that, when diagnosing acute lymphoblastic leukemia, doctors first check blood cell counts and whether abnormal cells are present. If there are abnormal findings, they proceed with bone marrow aspiration and a bone marrow biopsy to make an accurate diagnosis. Additional tests, such as immunophenotyping, may also be needed to distinguish between types of leukemia.

The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) has said that reaching complete remission after cancer treatment does not mean the cancer will not recur. Even after treatment ends, follow-up is conducted through blood tests and other means to check for recurrence and monitor the person’s health after treatment.


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter