‘90s TV star diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer: ‘It scares the daylights out of you’

A beloved ‘90s television star has been diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer.
Dave Coulier, best known for playing Joey Gladstone on “Full House,” revealed Wednesday that he was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last month. The blood cancer was detected after he contracted a respiratory infection that caused major swelling in his lymph nodes, leading to a node in his groin. When doctors removed it, a biopsy found it was cancerous.
“[M]y doctors called me back and they said, ‘We wish we had better news for you, but you have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and it’s called B cell and it’s very aggressive,’” the actor and stand-up comedian told People magazine. “I went from, I got a little bit of a head cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming.”
Coulier, 65, played a comedian known for jokes like “Cut. It. Out” and a ventriloquist routine with a beaver named Mr. Woodchuck on the ‘90s TV show and its sequel series, “Fuller House.” He also famously dated Alanis Morissette before the release of her hit song “You Oughta Know” and has voiced characters on “Muppet Babies,” “The Real Ghostbusters,” “Robot Chicken” and “American Dad!”
Coulier told NBC’s “Today” show that he’s trying to keep a sense of humor throughout his health battle.
“My joke is that in four short weeks I’ve gone from a Virgo to a Cancer,” he said. “I’ve tried to retain a sense of reality but also a sense of humor about it.”
According to the American Cancer Society, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma develops in white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system. More than 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year, and the five-year relative survival rate is 74%.
“It’s very treatable,” Coulier said, noting that his particular cancer has not spread to his bone marrow and may have a curability rate above 90%.
Coulier said he’s already started chemotherapy and is expected to have six rounds over the next few months. Doctors told him and his wife Melissa that he could expect “total remission” after February 2025.
“You hear ‘chemo,’ and it scares the daylights out of you,” Coulier told NBC. “The first round was pretty intense because you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how you’re going to feel. Is this going to hit me immediately? Is it going to be devastating? Am I going to walk out of here?”
“It’s been a bit of a roller coaster. There [are] days where I feel unbelievable,” he added. “Then there’s other days where … I’m just going to lay down and let this be what it’s going to be.”
Coulier, who said he lost his mother and sister to cancer, said he was opening up about his diagnosis to encourage others to get screened to help detect the presence of cancer.
He also said he has a lot to look forward to, including becoming a grandfather when his son welcomes his first child, seeing his longtime friend John Stamos later this week, and continuing to record episodes of the “Full House Rewind” podcast. Coulier and Stamos co-starred on “Full House,” which originally ran from 1987 to 1995 with a cast that included Bob Saget, Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Lori Loughlin, Andrea Barber and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.