Seven years after he collapsed on the stage half-way through a play at the Opera House, Tom Long has publicly discussed his cancer diagnosis.

The actor, who shot to fame through his roles inSeaChange,The Fish, andTwo Hands, toldThe Projectthat in 2012 he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a type of blood cancer.

After being told he was terminal, he googled his prognosis, finding he had an estimated two to three years to live.

“Essentially, I thought, that’s it,” he told Lisa Wilkinson onThe Project.

Seven years later, he is still alive.

Tom Long is one of our favourite home-grown actors- star of The Dish, SeaChange and Two Hands. But he’s currently off the screen and in the fight of his life. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/B5jHcUsG5m

— The Project (@theprojecttv) March 24, 2019

Tom continued to speak about his seven year struggle, during which he met his wife, Rebecca Fleming.

“We met through a friend of mine who lived across the road from Tom, and we had this glance that our friend noticed,” Fleming said of meeting her now husband, Tom.

While initially the formerSeaChangestar was hesitant to pursue the relationship, not wanting to drag his wife into the heartbreak of his diagnosis, the pair eventually fell in love.

“That’s why it took so long, probably, to get together…because I didn’t want to put Bec through it,” the 50-year-old actor toldThe Project.

In December 2018 the 50-year-old married Bec in a small ceremony. Around that time, Tom was told he may have just three to 12 months to live.

But Tom did not accept this, and his doctor found another option.

“My current doctor said, ‘stuff that, let’s try this,'” Tom toldThe Project, before explaining a medical trial in Seattle.

On Thursday, Tom Long will be flying to Seattle to participate in a medical trial that will attempt to rebuild his immune system using Car T Cell therapy.

“My chances elsewhere are not good, so I didn’t really have a choice,” Tom said.

“I am very aware that I could be taken any time, but it’s the hope I think, I go for hope,” he added.

He will be one of 18 participants in what has thus far been celebrated as a widely successful trial, which involves genetically modifying white blood cells to fight cancer cells in the body.

The actor said he is taking each day at a time, and is deeply grateful for the beauty of life.