The actor recently announced that a biopsy conducted in October detected a new cancer located at the base of his tongue.
WASHINGTON — In a surprising turn of events, actor Dave Coulier, who had been declared cancer-free just a few months ago, is now back in cancer treatment.
The 66-year-old, famous for his role in “Full House,” shared this update on the TODAY show on December 2. He was diagnosed in October with HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma at the base of his tongue.
“After going through chemotherapy and feeling the relief of, ‘Wow, it’s gone,’ to then receive a new diagnosis of a different cancer is quite a shock,” Coulier expressed on Tuesday.
Previously, in November 2024, Coulier had disclosed his battle with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma following the discovery of an enlarged lymph node. He underwent surgery and six chemotherapy sessions, leading to a cancer-free status by March. However, he continued regular PET scans, which ultimately led to the detection of this new cancer.
“A few months ago, a PET scan showed something unusual,” he explained. “The doctor mentioned, ‘We’re not sure what it is, but there’s something at the base of your tongue.’
After a painful initial biopsy showed no cancer, a follow-up scan in October found the growth had enlarged. A second biopsy confirmed cancer. Coulier’s doctors told him the diagnosis is unrelated to his prior lymphoma.
“They said it’s totally unrelated to my non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is a new cancer. … I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’” he added.
Coulier says his cancer is P16-positive, meaning it was caused by HPV. “They said it could stem from having an HPV virus up to 30 years ago,” he explained. “A lot of people carry the HPV virus, but they said mine activated and turned into a carcinoma.”
P16-positive oropharyngeal cancers are often highly treatable and respond well to radiation. Doctors told Coulier his outlook is strong.
“We found it early enough where it’s very treatable. … It’s got a 90% curability rate,” Coulier said. He has already begun radiation, which includes 35 treatments, Monday through Friday, through the end of December.
“It’s emotional. It’s psychologically draining,” he said, adding that seeing the strain on his wife, Melissa, has been the hardest part. Despite that, he remains “cautiously optimistic,” crediting close monitoring for saving his life a second time.
“The silver lining here is that I had cancer, which helped me detect my other cancer,” he said. “Had I not gone in and listened to my doctors and made sure that I got that PET scan to follow up, we would have never found this carcinoma … and I could be in a world of hurt.”
He hopes his story pushes others to stay on top of screenings.
“My message is get the mammogram, get the prostate exam, get a colonoscopy. Listen to your doctors,” Coulier said. “I hope you’re getting your checkups … they will save your life.”
