Actor and comedian Dave Coulier, best known for his role as Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom Full House, revealed this month that he has been diagnosed with early-stage tongue cancer. This announcement comes just months after being declared cancer-free from stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The diagnosis followed a routine PET scan that revealed abnormalities at the base of his tongue.
Coulier, age 66, said that doctors informed him the new cancer is unrelated to his earlier lymphoma. He is undergoing 35 scheduled rounds of radiation treatment, with a prognosis he describes as “very good,” citing a cure rate above 90 percent for this type of P16-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma.
Dave Coulier is contending with a new health struggle just months after beating lymphoma
Sources say Coulier first received his lymphoma diagnosis in October 2024 after swollen lymph nodes led to further testing. He began chemotherapy shortly thereafter and by the spring of 2025 was officially deemed cancer-free. It was during post-remission follow-up that his new condition was detected.
Coulier explained that the tongue cancer likely stems from an HPV strain that activated decades earlier. He described the discovery as emotionally jarring, but stressed that the rapid detection has given him a favorable treatment window. His wife, Melissa, and close friends, including his Full House co-star John Stamos, have been supportive through this new chapter of his health journey.
His life in front of the camera and beyond his ‘Full House’ home
Coulier began his career performing stand-up comedy in Detroit and Los Angeles before landing the role of Joey Gladstone in 1987. His character on Full House ran through 1995 and was revived in the Netflix series Fuller House from 2016 to 2020. He also accumulated several credits in voice acting and hosted television shows including America’s Funniest People.
With his newfound advocacy for early detection as a valuable form of healthcare, Coulier has also launched a wellness marketplace dedicated to toxin-free products.
