Dave Coulier shares stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis

Coulier began chemotherapy within two weeks of finding out he had cancer; separately, he received a negative bone marrow test that improved the prognosis. “At that point, my chances of curable went from something low to 90% range,” the comedian explained. “And so that was a great day.” 

Coulier is a longtime stand-up comic best known for his role as goofy but lovable Uncle Joey on Full House. He hosts a rewatch podcast for the show, Full House Rewind, on which he recently revealed his cancer diagnosis to fans. “That was really a conscious decision of, I’m going to meet this head-on, and I want people to know it’s my life,” he told People. I’m not going to try and hide anything. I would rather talk about it and open the discussion and inspire people.” 

In a conversation with NBC’s Today, Coulier—who lost his mother, sister, and niece to cancer—encouraged others to undergo screening for cancer wherever possible (“It’s a really simple thing to do and it can add years to your life”). “My joke is that in four short weeks I’ve gone from a Virgo to a Cancer. I’ve tried to retain a sense of reality but also a sense of humor about it,” he said. He shared that he’s expecting a visit from former co-star John Stamos after his second round of chemotherapy: “We’re going to have so many laughs. We’re going to have so much fun. I said, ‘It could be Weekend At Bernie’s if I’m just out of it.’ And [Stamos] said, ‘That’s OK. I’ll carry you around.'”