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Dave Coulier<\/strong> announced he is undergoing treatment for tongue cancer nearly eight months after he beat his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.<\/p>\n Coulier, 66, told TODAY.com<\/em><\/a> on Tuesday, December 2 that he was diagnosed with HPV-related oropharyngeal tongue cancer in October.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a really tough year, chemotherapy was grueling,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n Coulier explained that something \u201cflared on the scan\u201d when he got a PET scan a few months ago. \u201cThe doctor said, \u2018We don\u2019t know what it is, but there\u2019s something at the base of your tongue,\u2019\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n The doctor then went on to perform a biopsy, which Coulier said was \u201cvery painful.\u201d He continued, \u201cIt\u2019s like if you bit your tongue, but the pain just lasted every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel Radcliffe & Tom Felton Reunite 14 Years After Final \u2018Harry Potter\u2019 Film \u2014 See the Photos<\/a><\/p>\n The initial biopsy didn\u2019t detect any cancer cells, though a following PET scan in October detected that the growth on his tongue had flared again.<\/p>\n 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<\/em> star was then diagnosed with early stage P16 carcinoma, or oropharyngeal tongue cancer.<\/p>\n Oropharyngeal cancer \u201cis 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,\u201d according to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>. Healthcare providers have several different ways to treat oropharyngeal cancer, though the disease has a likely chance of coming back after treatment.<\/p>\n \u201cThey said it\u2019s totally unrelated to my non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma. This is a new cancer. \u2026 I said, \u2018Are you kidding me?’\u201d Coulier said of his new diagnosis. According to the National Cancer Institute<\/a>, HPV-16 is transmitted sexually. A long-lasting infection can cause changes in the cells that can eventually become cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found it early enough where it\u2019s very treatable. \u2026 It\u2019s got a 90 percent curability rate,\u201d Coulier said. \u201cThe doctor said the prognosis is good, but we\u2019re going to start radiation immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coulier explained that his doctors said his latest cancer \u201ccould stem from having an HPV virus up to 30 years ago.\u201d He added, \u201cA lot of people carry the HPV virus, but they said mine activated and turned into a carcinoma.\u201d<\/p>\n