Dave Coulier announced he is undergoing treatment for tongue cancer nearly eight months after he beat his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Coulier, 66, told TODAY.com on Tuesday, December 2 that he was diagnosed with HPV-related oropharyngeal tongue cancer in October.
“It was a really tough year, chemotherapy was grueling,” Coulier said before explaining that he learned he had no signs of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in March but continued to get PET scans every few months.
Coulier explained that something “flared on the scan” when he got a PET scan a few months ago. “The doctor said, ‘We don’t know what it is, but there’s something at the base of your tongue,’” he recalled.
The doctor then went on to perform a biopsy, which Coulier said was “very painful.” He continued, “It’s like if you bit your tongue, but the pain just lasted every single day.”
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The initial biopsy didn’t detect any cancer cells, though a following PET scan in October detected that the growth on his tongue had flared again.
Coulier explained he then went to an ear, nose and throat oncologist to have more testing done. He underwent a CT scan, an MRI and another biopsy, which came back positive for cancerous cells. The Fuller House star was then diagnosed with early stage P16 carcinoma, or oropharyngeal tongue cancer.
Oropharyngeal cancer “is cancer in your oropharynx, the middle section of your throat (pharynx) that makes saliva, keeps your mouth and throat moist and helps you digest food,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. Healthcare providers have several different ways to treat oropharyngeal cancer, though the disease has a likely chance of coming back after treatment.
“They said it’s totally unrelated to my non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is a new cancer. … I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’” Coulier said of his new diagnosis.
Coulier explained that his doctors said his latest cancer “could stem from having an HPV virus up to 30 years ago.” He added, “A lot of people carry the HPV virus, but they said mine activated and turned into a carcinoma.”
According to the National Cancer Institute, HPV-16 is transmitted sexually. A long-lasting infection can cause changes in the cells that can eventually become cancer.
“We found it early enough where it’s very treatable. … It’s got a 90 percent curability rate,” Coulier said. “The doctor said the prognosis is good, but we’re going to start radiation immediately.”
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In light of his diagnosis, Coulier is currently undergoing radiation therapy. He will complete 35 treatments in total and will have them done Monday through Friday for the remainder of the year.
“It’s a whole different animal than chemo. It doesn’t feel as aggressive, but there are still side effects,” he said.
Coulier added that his doctors expect that his cancer will be cured once his treatment is finished on December 31. “I get to start the new year saying, I finished radiation yesterday! It’s kind of serendipitous,” he said.
After Coulier was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2024, he said the experience inspired him to “really give [his] body a chance.”
“There was a huge discovery period for me during chemotherapy, I had a lot of time where I was just lying in bed. … I became very curious and aware of my surroundings,” he recalled, noting that he became more informed about the ingredients in products he used such as food, toothpaste, lotion and more.
Coulier also said the health scares inspired him to shed light on the importance of health, and he revealed he’s launched AwearMarket. The company is “a digital marketplace for toxin-free wellness products,” according to the press release.
