Dave Coulier has revealed that he is undergoing treatment for tongue cancer, just a year after he beat non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In a recent interview with the TODAY Show, the Full House star announced his latest diagnosis and gave an update on his health.
Dave Coulier shares tongue cancer diagnosis
Speaking with TODAY co-anchor Craig Melvin on December 2, Coulier reflected on his past year of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “A year has flown by like that. It’s been a roller coaster,” he shared.
In April 2025, the comedian announced that the treatment was successful and he was cancer-free. However, his latest follow-up scan revealed a new, unrelated cancer on his tongue.
“To go through chemotherapy and feel that relief of whoa, 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 shared.
“A couple of months ago, I had a PET scan, and something flared on the scan,” the actor further recalled. “The doctor said, ‘We don’t know what it is, but there’s something at the base of your tongue.'”
Explaining the symptom, Coulier shared, “It was very painful. It’s like if you bit your tongue, but the pain just lasted every single day.”
Although the initial biopsy did not reveal any signs of cancer, the next PET scan showed that the growth on his tongue had grown at an alarming rate. Following another subsequent biopsy, Coulier was diagnosed with early-stage, P16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
Coulier went on to recall the moment he found out about the new cancer. “They said it’s totally unrelated to my non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This is a new cancer. … I said, ‘Are you kidding me?'”
On a more hopeful note, the comedian revealed, “We found it early enough where it’s very treatable. … It’s got a 90% curability rate. The doctor said the prognosis is good, but we’re going to start radiation immediately.”
The star is scheduled to undergo 35 radiation treatments in total from Monday through Friday for the rest of the year.
Originally reported by Namrata Ghosh on Mandatory.
