Spartacus might be fighting for the oppressed against the Roman Empire on the television screen, but the man behind the character -- Andy Whitfield -- has a much more important battle to face in reality.

The 36-year-old Welsh actor has had a recurrence of his Stage 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and must once again undergo treatment, delaying the second season of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" on Starz.

"It's with a deep sense of disappointment that I must step aside from such an exceptional project as 'Spartacus' and all the wonderful people involved," Whitfield said in a statement issued by Starz. "It seems that it is time for myself and my family to embark on another extraordinary journey. Thank you sincerely for the support so far."

There are at least 16 different types of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, and it's not clear which one Whitfield is suffering from. However, the condition is treatable using mostly conventional means of fighting cancers.

"Our hearts and prayers are with Andy and his family during this difficult time," said Chris Albrecht, president and chief executive of Starz, in a release. "Andy is not only an incredible actor whose portrayal of Spartacus made an indelible impression on Starz audiences, he is also an amazing human being whose courage, strength and grace in the face of adversity have inspired all of us."

The second season of "Blood and Sand" was set to premiere in September 2011, but that date is now up in the air, Starz said. It's not clear if the show will continue it hiatus, recast the lead role, or simply pull "Blood and Sand" off the air permanently.

In the meantime, producers have put together a prequel project that doesn't involve Whitfield called "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" that includes John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett and Dustin Clare.

The prequel series is filming now, and Starz did not set a timeline on when a decision on "Blood and Sand" would be made.

You can get a look at Whitfield working on Season 1 in this DVD/Blu-ray clip located here.