Actor Dave Coulier is opening up about a difficult new chapter in his health journey. Just months after celebrating the end of chemotherapy and remission from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the Full House star has revealed he is now undergoing treatment for a second, entirely unrelated cancer: HPV-related oropharyngeal tongue cancer.
The news, shared on the TODAY show, has understandably been an emotional shock for Coulier and his family — but he remains hopeful, determined, and focused on early detection, wellness, and raising awareness.
A Second Diagnosis After a Grueling Year
Coulier, 66, spent much of the past year recovering from Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma after discovering an enlarged lymph node in his groin. Chemotherapy was “grueling,” he says, but ultimately successful. In March, he learned he had no signs of lymphoma and continued routine PET scans.
Then came another surprise.
During a follow-up scan earlier this year, doctors noticed something unusual at the base of his tongue — a spot that hadn’t been visible before. Coulier had no symptoms: no pain, no changes in his voice, nothing to suggest cancer.
A biopsy at first showed no cancer cells. Relief was short-lived.
At his next scheduled scan in October, the spot had grown. A second, more extensive biopsy confirmed the diagnosis: early-stage P16-positive oropharyngeal tongue cancer, a form linked to HPV-16.
“It was a shock to the system,” he shared. “To hear, ‘You’ve beaten one cancer — but now there’s another,’ it’s emotional and psychologically draining.”
Understanding P16-Positive Tongue Cancer
P16-positive cancers are associated with HPV, a common virus that many people carry without knowing. In some individuals, the virus can remain dormant for decades before causing cellular changes that lead to cancer.
The good news:
P16-positive cancers tend to respond very well to treatment. Coulier’s care team told him the cancer is highly curable — with about a 90% success rate when caught early.
Early detection, he emphasizes, saved his life twice.
Radiation and the Road Ahead
Coulier has now begun an intensive round of radiation therapy: 35 treatments, Monday through Friday, continuing through the end of the year.
Radiation, he says, feels “less aggressive” than chemo — but it still brings side effects such as nausea, “radiation brain,” and lingering pain from the biopsy site.
Despite it all, he tries to maintain his humor:
“I’m doing really well for a guy with cancer,” he joked.
His final treatment will be on December 31 — a symbolic end to a very hard year and the hopeful start of a new one.
A Shift Toward Wellness and Awareness
This back-to-back experience with cancer has changed the way Coulier thinks about his health. He’s focusing on movement, nutrition, sauna therapy, infrared light, and paying closer attention to the ingredients in everyday products.
This new mindset led him to build AwearMarket, a digital marketplace for toxin-free wellness products launching Dec. 2 in partnership with the V Foundation’s Hockey Fights Cancer initiative.
“I’ve taken a whole new approach to life,” he says. “I’m very aware now.”
Using His Voice for Early Detection
Coulier never expected to become a public advocate for cancer awareness, but he’s embracing the role.
“How can I not use my voice to say, ‘Hey… early detection saved my life — twice’?”
His message is simple and powerful:
Listen to your body. Don’t skip routine scans. Pay attention to changes, even small ones. And get screened whenever recommended.
A Message of Hope for the Community
For patients and caregivers facing cancer diagnoses of their own, Coulier offers a realistic but hopeful perspective. The emotional strain is real — for him and for his wife, Melissa — but so is his determination.
“I’m cautiously optimistic,” he says. “I’m going to get on the other side of this.”
And thanks to early detection, strong medical care, and a positive prognosis, that hope feels well-founded.
