Dave Coulier, the actor and comedian widely known for his role in the American sitcom Full House, revealed during an appearance on NBC’s Today show that he has been diagnosed with tongue cancer only seven months after recovering from blood cancer, prompting renewed concern from the public.
According to Variety, Coulier explained that this diagnosis carries a far better prognosis, with doctors estimating a cure rate of ninety percent, and he noted that he is preparing to undergo thirty-five rounds of radiation therapy.
He emphasized that the new cancer is unrelated to his previous lymphoma, recounting that an October PET scan detected P16 squamous cell carcinoma at the base of his tongue and that his doctor confirmed it had no connection to his earlier illness. Coulier underscored the lifesaving importance of early detection, pointing out that both of his cancers were discovered at an early stage and urging others to receive regular medical screenings.
Medical staff informed him that the P16 protein is linked to HPV, meaning a virus he may have contracted decades ago could have reactivated and developed into cancer, while also noting that many people carry HPV without ever experiencing malignancies. Coulier ended the segment by sharing that he will begin radiation treatment immediately and clarified that it is an entirely different process from chemotherapy.
Last November, Coulier was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of blood cancer, and he openly admitted that even hearing the word chemotherapy was frightening because he worried about the side effects, the difficulty of the treatment, and whether he would be able to leave the hospital on his own.
Nine months ago, in an interview with Parade magazine, he shared that he had recovered after completing his final chemotherapy session a month earlier. His wife recalled a moment after his fifth round of treatment when Coulier said that if he died, so be it, and if he lived, that was great, showing how deeply the illness had affected him.
Coulier has appeared in the film Clean Guys of Comedy and gained a devoted following through his memorable performances in television series such as Ghostbusters, Full House, and Fuller House Season 1.
