“Full House” star Dave Coulier has revealed he is undergoing treatment for tongue cancer—just over a year after he was diagnosed with “aggressive” non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Coulier, 66, shared the devastating health news during a phone interview with the “Today” show, explaining that he learned he had HPV-related oropharyngeal tongue cancer in October, seven months after he was told he had beaten his Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“To go through chemotherapy and feel that relief of whoah, 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,” the actor, who was born and raised in St. Clair, MI, admitted.
Although Coulier experienced some symptoms in the lead up to his first cancer diagnosis, he said there were no warning signs to indicate something was off with his health—until a chance discovery was made during a routine PET scan.
“A couple of months ago, I had a PET scan, and something flared on the scan,” he explained. “The doctor said, ‘We don’t know what it is, but there’s something at the base of your tongue.'”
Coulier underwent a “painful” biopsy, which did not initially show any sign of “cancer cells.” However, when he had another PET scan a few months later, it revealed that the growth on his tongue and grown in size.
This prompted him to consult an ear, nose and throat oncologist, who performed more scans, as well as a more aggressive biopsy, which was positive for cancerous cells—although Coulier noted that this diagnosis of early stage P16 carcinoma is completely unrelated to his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“They said it’s totally unrelated to my non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is a new cancer … I said, ‘Are you kidding me?'” he revealed.
Coulier was told that his diagnosis could be related to an HPV virus that he may have picked up “30 years ago” and later turned into a carcinoma.
However, the actor said that his outlook is positive, revealing that doctors believe they have caught it early enough that Coulier has a 90% curability rate. He will still have to undergo 35 rounds of radiation therapy, which he noted do not feel as “aggressive” as the chemo he underwent months ago, but are still taking their toll.
“It’s a whole different animal than chemo. It doesn’t feel as aggressive, but there are still side effects,” he said, noting that his final round of radiation will take place on Dec. 31.
Coulier’s latest health update comes just over one year after he first opened up about his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis in a series of interviews, recalling to People magazine his horror when he first learned he had cancer.
“Three days [after undergoing tests], my doctors called me back and they said, ‘We wish we had better news for you, but you have Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and it’s called B cell and it’s very aggressive,” he told the outlet.
“I went from I got a little bit of a head cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming. This has been a really fast roller-coaster ride of a journey,” he said.
In a separate on-air interview with the “Today” show, Coulier explained that he had been undergoing treatment for about a month, adding that he was confident that he would reach “total remission” after completing chemotherapy in February 2025.
Coulier gave credit to his wife, Melissa, explaining how she took charge and “organized (his) entire life, from nutrition to the doctor’s appointments to the pills.
“She’s got stuff color-coded. It’s pretty great,” he said.
Building a dream home
Together the pair, who wed in 2014, are fighting the disease while taking refuge at their lakefront home in St. Clair, where they moved to from Los Angeles in 2019—returning to the town where Coulier was born and raised.
In an interview with Hour Detroit that same year, Coulier revealed that he and his wife had purchased a 5-acre plot of waterfront land in the area, where they were building a custom lake house inspired by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright‘s designs.
Property records show that the duo purchased a plot of land in the area that same year in what appears to have been an off-market deal. That acreage was last listed for $1,999,000.
“I’ve always been in love with this part of the world,” he told the publication. “I find that I’m drawn to Lake St. Clair.”
Coulier added that he expected work on the home to be completed by 2020. However, his Instagram account suggests that there have been some delays. Posts shared as recently as October 2023 showed that construction was still being completed on the impressive abode.
‘A slice of heaven’
However, the actor has taken a key role in leading the build on the property, revealing that he even went back to school to learn the skills needed to carry out work on his future house.
“I’ve always worked hard. And I enjoy working with my hands—doing the dirty work to make my home and surroundings look their best,” he wrote on his website. “I’ve always wanted to build my family a home.
“So we bought some lakefront property, cleared it ourselves (with our tractor) and designed a home. Then I went to contractor’s school to learn how to be a real builder. I’ve gained a new respect of builders everywhere.”
He added in another 2020 post: “I grew up on Lake St. Clair. A little over a year ago, I discovered the most incredible lakefront property. It was in really rough shape. It was littered with trash and dead trees. It took almost six months to clear.
“But underneath all of that was over 3 waterfront acres and another acre and a half with a cove and breakwater. Now I get to take my boat there, get on my tractor and keep it looking beautiful. Yes. I have to pinch myself. A poor kid from St. Clair Shores, Michigan owns a slice of heaven. It only took 4 decades of hard work to get here.”
In September 2022, he shared an update with his fans, admitting that the construction had been more “labor intensive” than he’d anticipated.
“It always starts with a solid plan. Me and @melissacoulier designed our house with @workadaydesign architects. I got so involved with the process that I went to contractor’s school to learn as much as I could,” he wrote on Instagram.
“So far, the most labor intensive phase has been securing all the permits. I can’t quite call myself a general contractor yet. I surrounded myself with really knowledgeable people and studied every page of the plans. So far, I’m having a blast.”
It appears that the couple initially planned to completely renovate a home they purchased in 2020, “right when COVID hit,” Coulier told Closer in November of that year. “It was a very convenient time to be locked in a home. We were tearing down walls and ripping out carpeting and doing construction work.”
2020 also marked Coulier’s sobriety journey, another hurdle that he credits his wife with helping him to overcome.
“I decided to make a decision for my own well-being, my family and for those around me who I love so dearly,” he wrote on Instagram. “The mental and physical withdrawal were big challenges for me, but I was supported by @melissacoulier and friends who had already made the journey. The psychological and physical transformation has been amazing.”
Michigan for life
Coulier’s new home is located not far from where he grew up—and where his brother, Dan, and his father, David, lived until they both passed away, residing in the same home where the actor was born in 1959.
The actor attended high school in the area and initially planned to continue his education there. However, after spending just one year at the University of Michigan, the aspiring comedian dropped out to pursue his Hollywood dream.
He moved to Los Angeles and started performing stand-up in comedy clubs in the 1970s, alongside Robin Williams and Jerry Seinfeld.
His big break came in 1987, with the “Full House” role of Uncle Joey. He recently reprised the beloved part in the Netflix reboot “Fuller House.”