Dave Coulier is known to generations as the wisecracking Joey Gladstone, but today his message carries far more weight than any punchline. The beloved Full House star recently revealed that early cancer detection saved his life—not once, but twice—and he is now urging Americans to pay close attention to their bodies.
In a candid interview, Dave Coulier shared how routine medical visits and quick action made all the difference during a frightening chapter of his life. According to Fox News, Coulier has entered complete remission after battling two separate cancer diagnoses in the last two years, a journey that reshaped his outlook and deepened his resolve to help others.
Dave Coulier Says Early Detection Made All The Difference
Coulier credited early detection with preventing what could have been a devastating outcome. After previously recovering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, he was diagnosed in October 2025 with HPV-related oropharyngeal tongue cancer. During a routine six-month checkup and PET scans, doctors discovered an enlarged tumor that turned out to be unrelated to his earlier illness. That vigilance proved life-saving.
“Listen to your body. Your body will tell you things,” Coulier said, recalling how he felt unusually fatigued and discovered a lump while showering. At his wife Melissa’s urging, he immediately called his doctor—a decision he now calls life-changing. “Had I not taken the step… things would have been much different. We caught it early,” he explained, emphasizing how cancer “is working out in the background every day” if left unchecked.
Dave Coulier Opens Up About Vulnerability And Advocacy
The double diagnosis was, in his words, a “double whammy.” Coulier underwent 35 rounds of radiation and robotic surgery on his tongue, facing not only physical pain but also emotional strain. “Cancer can steal a lot of things away from you,” he admitted, determined not to let the disease define him or rob him of hope.
Now in remission, Dave Coulier has embraced advocacy work, becoming an ambassador for The V Foundation for Cancer Research and the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer. He has also launched AWEAR Market after researching toxins in everyday products. Though he never wanted to be “the poster boy for cancer,” he says he is willing to “carry the flag” if it means encouraging others to seek screenings and act on warning signs.