Dave Coulier is facing a new health battle just months after celebrating his recovery from lymphoma. The Full House star revealed on the Today show that he has been diagnosed with tongue cancer, calling the news a “shock to the system.”
Coulier, 66, explained that this diagnosis is completely unrelated to his previous non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Doctors told him the cancer may be linked to an HPV infection from decades ago that later developed into a carcinoma.
Despite the surprise, he shared that his condition is considered very treatable, with an estimated 90 percent cure rate. His medical team has already started him on radiation therapy, and he says the side effects feel different from the chemotherapy he endured last year.
Coulier first disclosed his stage 3 lymphoma diagnosis in November 2024 on the same morning show, and he was declared cancer-free earlier this year. He even learned he was in remission the same day he became a grandfather, a moment he described as unforgettable.
Six months later, a PET scan revealed something unusual, ultimately leading to his new HPV-related oropharyngeal tongue cancer diagnosis. He told Today that, oddly enough, his first cancer may have helped doctors catch the second one early. Even so, he admits the emotional toll has been heavy for both him and his wife, Melissa Bring.
“It’s psychologically draining,” he said, adding that seeing the impact on Melissa has been the hardest part. Still, Coulier remains hopeful and determined, saying he feels cautiously optimistic about the road ahead.
Calling himself a “poster boy for cancer,” he says he wants to use his platform to spread one message loud and clear: early detection saved his life not once, but twice.