Dave Coulier is facing another cancer battle, only months after he thought he had put the ordeal behind him. 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.” He made it clear this wasn’t connected to the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma he beat earlier this year. “It’s totally unrelated to my non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is a new cancer. I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’”
Doctors explained that the cancer may be linked to HPV, possibly contracted decades ago. Coulier said they told him the virus could have been “activated and turned into a carcinoma.” Even so, he is focusing on the positives. He described the cancer as “very treatable” with a “90 percent curability rate,” something he clings to as he starts treatment again.
Radiation is already underway, and although he says it feels less aggressive than last year’s chemotherapy, it’s still demanding. “It doesn’t feel as aggressive, but there are still side effects,” he admitted. Despite being used to gruelling treatments, this new round is proving to be “a whole different animal.”
Coulier first shared his stage 3 lymphoma diagnosis in November 2024, also on the Today show. After months of treatment, he was officially cancer free. He later told listeners of the How Rude, Tanneritos podcast that he received the good news on the same day he became a grandfather. “It was an amazing day,” he said, clearly emotional as he reflected on the moment.
But six months later, another shock arrived. A routine PET scan showed something unusual, which led to the discovery of his HPV-related oropharyngeal tongue cancer. He is well aware of how bizarre it sounds to say one cancer helped uncover another, but he insisted it’s true. “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.”
Still, the emotional toll is heavy. Coulier admitted that the mental strain is sometimes harder than the physical symptoms. “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.” Melissa Bring, whom he married in 2014, has been by his side through both illnesses, and Coulier’s voice softened when he talked about the pressure she is under.
Even so, he describes himself as “cautiously optimistic” and is determined to push through. “I’m going to get to the other side of this,” he said, sounding confident in spite of everything.
Coulier also joked, with warmth rather than cynicism, that he has become the “poster boy for cancer.” He feels a responsibility to speak up. “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.’”
His message is simple but powerful: get checked, listen to your body and never assume you’re in the clear.
