A little over a year after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Dave Coulier announced exclusively on the TODAY show that he is undergoing treatment for an unrelated tongue cancer.
The actor, who played Uncle Joey on “Full House,” joined TODAY Dec. 2 to share an update on his health and discuss the launch of his new wellness endeavor.
Coulier, 66, was diagnosed with HPV-related oropharyngeal tongue cancer in October, he tells TODAY.com in a phone interview.
Just seven months before, Coulier had shared that he was cancer-free thanks to chemotherapy. He had previously revealed his Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis in November 2024 on TODAY.
“A year has flown by like that. It’s been a roller coaster,” Coulier told TODAY co-anchor Craig Melvin in a Dec. 2 segment.
“To go through chemotherapy and feel that relief of whoah, it’s gone, and then to get a test that says, well now you’ve got another kind of cancer … it is a shock to the system,” Coulier says.
The actor was diagnosed with his first cancer after noticing a golfball-sized enlarged lymph node in his groin, which a biopsy revealed to be non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
However, he had no symptoms or signs before his second cancer diagnosis — until a chance discovery during a follow-up scan.
Dave Coulier diagnosed with tongue cancer
“It was a really tough year, chemotherapy was grueling,” says Coulier. In March, he learned he had no signs of non-Hodgkin lymphoma but continued getting PET scans every few months.
“A couple of months ago, I had a PET scan, and something flared on the scan,” Coulier recalls. “The doctor said, ‘We don’t know what it is, but there’s something at the base of your tongue.'”
Coulier’s doctor performed a biopsy. “It was very painful. It’s like if you bit your tongue, but the pain just lasted every single day,” the actor says.
The initial biopsy didn’t show any signs of cancer. “We thought, ‘This is great. We’re still not sure what it is, but there aren’t any cancer cells,'” he explains.
However, at his next scheduled PET scan this past October, doctors noticed the growth on his tongue had flared again and grown.
Concerned, Coulier went to an ear, nose and throat oncologist for more testing. After a CT scan and an MRI, doctors performed another biopsy — this time, removing a larger piece of his tongue.
Shortly after, the biopsy results came back positive for cancerous cells. Coulier was diagnosed with early stage, P16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, a type of tongue cancer.
“They said it’s totally unrelated to my non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is a new cancer. … I said, ‘Are you kidding me?'” Coulier recalls.
P16 is a protein that’s a marker for HPV, or human papillomavirus. A P16-positive cancer is caused by infection with HPV-16, a type of high-risk HPV, per the American Cancer Society.
“They said it could stem from having an HPV virus up to 30 years ago. A lot of people carry the HPV virus, but they said mine activated and turned into a carcinoma,” Coulier says.
HPV-16 is transmitted sexually, and long-lasting infection can cause changes in the cells that can become cancer, per the National Cancer Institute.
Fortunately, P16-positive oropharyngeal cancers often have a better outcome than P16-negative ones, the American Cancer Society says.
“We found it early enough where it’s very treatable. … It’s got a 90% curability rate,” says Coulier. “The doctor said the prognosis is good, but we’re going to start radiation immediately.”
Radiation treatment
Coulier is currently undergoing radiation therapy — 35 treatments in total, Monday through Friday, which will last through the end of the year.
“It’s a whole different animal than chemo. It doesn’t feel as aggressive, but there are still side effects,” says Coulier.
These include nausea, “radiation brain,” and pain on the left side of his face and tongue, where the tissue was removed for the biopsy. “That’s not 100% healed yet,” says Coulier.
Surgery on the base of the tongue can impact talking, but Coulier sounded like his usual, jovial self on the phone. “My joke usually is … I’m doing really well for a guy with cancer,” he says.
After radiation, doctors expect the cancer to be cured. Coulier’s last treatment is on Dec. 31. “I get to start the new year saying, I finished radiation yesterday! It’s kind of serendipitous,” he quips.
Coulier says the experience of being diagnosed with two cancers in one year has taken a toll. “It’s emotional. It’s psychologically draining. It’s also a big drain to my wife, Melissa, which is the biggest drain on me, seeing how this affects her,” he says.
However, Coulier remains “cautiously optimistic. I’m going to get on the other side of this,” he says.
“The silver lining here is that I had cancer, which helped me detect my other cancer. It seems crazy to be making that statement, but it’s true,” says Coulier.
“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. This could have progressed immensely, and I would be in trouble.”
Another thing keeping Coulier’s spirits up is his new grandson, who was born this March. “This little baby in our life, Chance, he’s the happiest kid. It’s fantastic,” he says.
A new approach to wellness
Coulier says his journey with cancer has transformed how he approaches his health.
These days, he focuses on moving his body every day. He eats healthier, and uses a sauna and infrared light. “I’ve started really give my body a chance,” Coulier says.
He also thinks a lot more about what he puts in and on his body.
“There was a huge discovery period for me during chemotherapy, I had a lot of time where I was just lying in bed. … I became very curious and aware of my surroundings,” says Coulier, adding that he began learning about the ingredients in everything he used, from food to toothpaste, lotion and more.
This culminated in what Coulier calls a “light-bulb moment,” which led to the founding of AwearMarket, “a digital marketplace for toxin-free wellness products,” according to the press release.
“I’ve taken a whole new approach to life, where I’m very — I don’t want to keep going back to this word — but aware now,” says Coulier.
AwearMarket will launch on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, in partnership with the V Foundation for Cancer Research in support of the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative.
Coulier, who is an ambassador for the V Foundation and a lifelong hockey fan, says he hopes Awear’s purchase roundup program will help contribute to cancer research.
Dave Coulier is opening up about his health. The “Full House” star revealed on “TODAY” Nov. 13 that he has been diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, which he also explained is a “B-cell lymphoma” that he described as “very aggressive type.”
Advocacy and raising awareness
“I never wanted to be the poster boy for cancer, but I’m happy to do it,” says Coulier.
The hardest diagnoses of his life have inspired Coulier to help others by advocating for people to get more cancer screenings and be aware of changes in their body.
“How the heck can I not take this moment to use my voice to say to people, ‘Hey, early detection saved my life, and now early detection saved my life again,'” says Coulier.
According to the American Cancer Society, everyone can reduce their risk of dying from common types of cancer by taking two actions: Follow recommended screening guidelines and avoid harmful habits that increase the risk of cancer, such as smoking, alcohol abuse and unhealthy diet. For oropharyngeal cancers in particular, HPV vaccination and seeing your dentist regularly can also reduce risk.
“My message is get the mammogram, get the prostate exam, get a colonoscopy. Listen to your doctors,” says Coulier.
“I hope you’re getting your checkups … they will save your life.”
Since appearing on the TODAY show to discuss his non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis, Coulier says he’s heard from “thousands of people” who said it inspired them to get checked.
“It sucks having to go through cancer, but it’s a magnificent position to be in where you realize you have a voice that can actually save someone’s life,” he adds. “I don’t know that that has happened, but I like to believe that when I’m talking about it and encouraging people that maybe I helped one person.”
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