Honestly, it feels like life is playing a really twisted joke on Dave Coulier. One minute, you’re the guy who taught an entire generation of kids how to "cut it out," and the next, you’re facing down two entirely different types of cancer in just over a year. It’s heavy.
If you’ve been following the Dave Coulier news lately, you know it’s been a literal roller coaster. Back in late 2024, the world was stunned when he revealed a diagnosis of Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Then, just as he was ringing the bell and celebrating remission in early 2025, a routine checkup in October threw everything back into chaos.
The Second Diagnosis Nobody Saw Coming
Basically, Dave went in for what was supposed to be a routine PET scan. He felt fine. No lumps, no weird pains, nothing like the golf-ball-sized mass in his groin that tipped him off to the lymphoma the first time around. But the scan showed a "flare" at the base of his tongue.
It turns out he has P16-positive squamous cell carcinoma. That’s a mouthful, but it’s essentially a type of oropharyngeal tongue cancer.
Here’s the kicker: his doctors told him this has absolutely nothing to do with the lymphoma he just beat. Talk about bad luck. This new cancer is linked to the HPV virus, something his medical team says he might have carried for 30 years before it suddenly decided to "activate" and turn into a carcinoma.
He recently told Craig Melvin on Today that it was a total "shock to the system." You’ve got to imagine that mental exhaustion. You finish six rounds of chemo, your hair starts coming back, you’re finally feeling like yourself, and then—boom—you’re back in the chair.
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What the Treatment Looks Like Now
Right now, Dave is in the thick of it. He’s undergoing 35 rounds of radiation therapy. Unlike the chemo, which he described as feeling like he got "punched in the stomach," radiation is a different kind of beast.
- He’s doing treatments Monday through Friday.
- The goal was to finish by December 31, 2025.
- Side effects include significant "mental fog" and physical fatigue.
He’s been pretty open about how "chemo brain" made him feel like he was living in a daze. Even so, he’s staying remarkably upbeat, cracking jokes about how he’s gone from a Virgo to a "Cancer" in record time. That’s Dave for you.
A Support System Built on "Full House" Love
You can't talk about Dave Coulier news without mentioning the Tanner family. The Full House cast isn't just a group of former co-workers; they are a legitimate tribe.
John Stamos has been a literal rock. There’s this hilarious—and kind of heartbreaking—story Dave told about John flying out to Michigan to support him during his first bout with cancer, only to catch COVID while he was there. They ended up sitting at opposite ends of a hallway communicating via walkie-talkies like they were back in elementary school.
John even posted photos wearing a bald cap to show solidarity with Dave when he lost his hair. Some people on the internet (because it’s the internet) criticized it, but Dave shot that down fast. He loved it. He needed that laugh.
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Lori Loughlin and Candace Cameron Bure have been on constant FaceTime duty, too. When you’re facing your mortality, having people who have known you for 40 years in your corner matters.
Why Early Detection Really Is the Hero Here
Dave is very aware that he’s lucky. That sounds weird to say about someone with two cancers, but it’s true. Because he was being monitored so closely for the lymphoma, they caught the tongue cancer at an "early stage."
The prognosis is actually very good—a 90% curability rate.
He’s now using his platform to scream from the rooftops about screenings. He launched a new venture called Awear Market, which focuses on toxin-free wellness products, and he’s partnering with the V Foundation. He’s basically turned his personal nightmare into a public service announcement.
"Early detection saved my life, not just the first time, but the second time as well," Dave shared.
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He’s not just talking about PET scans, either. He’s telling fans to get their colonoscopies, their mammograms, and their prostate exams.
The Reality of the "What If" Conversations
It hasn't all been "Cut It Out" jokes and smiles. Dave’s wife, Melissa, has been "running ragged," according to Dave. They’ve had to have those dark, middle-of-the-night conversations about what happens if the treatment doesn't work.
Dave lost his mother, his sister, and a niece to cancer. He knows exactly what the worst-case scenario looks like. He told Parade that at one point during his fifth round of chemo, he felt so depleted he wasn't sure he could keep going.
But then he became a grandfather. His son Luc had a baby boy in March 2025, and that seems to have given him a whole new reason to push through the radiation burns and the exhaustion.
What You Can Do Next
If you’re feeling inspired (or maybe a little spooked) by Dave’s journey, don't just read the news and move on. Take these concrete steps to prioritize your own health:
- Schedule that overdue screening. Whether it’s a physical, a dental checkup (dentists often catch oral cancers first!), or a specialized exam, just book it.
- Monitor your body. Dave’s first cancer was found because of a lump he felt while he had a cold. If something feels "off" for more than two weeks, see a doctor.
- Support the cause. Check out the V Foundation or Dave’s Awear Market if you want to contribute to cancer research and wellness.
Dave's story isn't over. He’s planning to head into 2026 cancer-free for the second time, and honestly, if anyone can pull off that kind of comeback, it’s Joey Gladstone.