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Since making his diagnosis of stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma public in November 2024, Dave Coulier has been candid about his illness, treatment and prognosis.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a form of cancer that affects the patient’s lymphatic system, involving white blood cells called lymphocytes [that] grow abnormally and form growths (tumors) throughout the body,” said the Mayo Clinic. With his wife Melissa Bring at his side, Coulier relied on his doctors’ “very specific plan for how they were going to treat the cancer.”
“That was really a conscious decision: I’m going to face this head-on, and I want people to know that it’s my life,” Coulier explained on a November 2024 episode of his podcast “Full House Rewind,” after his diagnosis . “I’m not going to try to hide anything. I prefer to talk about it, open the discussion and inspire people.”
Coulier’s treatment is ongoing, with the plan to complete chemotherapy in February 2025 and be in “total remission” following his diagnosis.
However, Bring announced in January 2025 that the treatment was taking its toll on Coulier.
“He’s having some really rough days, and as the chemo piles on, it gets a little bit harder and harder,” Bring said during an interview with WXYZ published on Thursday, January 23.
She added that on good days they play a song and have a “dance party with the dogs” to celebrate the positive moments.
Keep scrolling to see everything Coulier has said about his battle with cancer.
Dealing with his diagnosis

Coulier was first diagnosed in October 2024 after battling an upper respiratory infection that resulted in severe swelling of his lymph nodes. When an area grew to the size of a golf ball, he underwent PET and CT scans and a biopsy, which revealed the cancer.
“I went from ‘I have a bit of a cold’ to ‘I have cancer,’ and it was quite overwhelming,” he said People. “This has truly been a fast roller coaster ride of a journey.”
Good days and bad days
Coulier expanded on Bring’s comments about the good and bad days, adding that if all goes well, the lifelong hockey fan can even skate.
“Some days I feel nauseous and dizzy, and there are other days where the steroids kick in and I feel like I have a lot of energy,” he said People. “I skated with some friends here in Detroit yesterday. We just went skating around and shooting pucks, and it was great to just do something that I love and just try to stay focused on all the great things I have in my life.
Early detection
As Coulier continues his own fight, he is also using his platform to help others understand the importance of early detection.
“There is a lot to live for. And if that means talking to your doctors or having a mammogram or a breast exam or a colonoscopy, that can really make a big difference in your life,” he said. People.
He added that since his diagnosis, he has heard of others who have gone for checkups.
“I’ve heard from so many people who are inspired enough by my words and actions to say they’re going to see their doctor and get mammograms, a colonoscopy or a prostate exam,” Coulier said via Instagram in November 2024. “I still laugh when there is adversity.”
His prognosis
Coulier expressed optimism about his recovery after a bone marrow test came back negative shortly after his diagnosis.
“At that point my chances of recovery went from slightly low to [the] Reach of 90 percent,” he said. “And so that was a great day.”
Narrating the Full House cast

Coulier wanted to make sure his TV family got the cast Full househeard the news of his diagnosis from him.
“I didn’t want them to hear it from someone else, so I texted them,” Coulier said. “It was just this outpouring of, ‘I’ll be there. Just name the time and I know you’ll be in good hands [wife Melissa Bring]but what can we do? It’s really overwhelming how much love we have for each other. We’ve been there for each other for so many years, and it’s pretty remarkable.
John Stamos with a bald cap

After learning of his friend’s diagnosis, Stamos paid him a visit wearing a bald cap, as a show of support. He and Coulier posted a photo on Instagram, and while many showed their support, others criticized Stamos for not shaving his head.
“I’m sorry to see a lot of negative comments as I just started my cancer journey,” Coulier wrote on November 19 via Instagram. “It’s our friendship (me and John) and this is how we deal with a very tough situation. time. I am a comedian and humor is what drives me. John knows how to cheer me up and I laughed out loud when he arrived wearing a bald cap – a true loving friend and brother.”
The ‘constant fight’
Coulier’s treatment was a “constant battle,” he said on a January 2025 episode of his podcast “Full House Rewind.”
“The side effects have side effects,” he said. “And then you take a medicine to counter this and this and that. So it’s a constant cocktail where your body is in fight or flight mode and you’re just trying to adapt to, ‘Okay, how do I adapt to steroids? How do I adapt to the chemo cocktail?’”
“It’s a bit of an internal battle,” he added.