Dave Coulier, the actor best known for playing Joey Gladstone on “Full House,” has been diagnosed with cancer.
Dave Coulier shared the news in an interview with PEOPLE, saying that he was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkins lymphoma in October. The 65-year-old said that doctors found the cancer in October after he contracted an upper respiratory infection that caused his lymph nodes to swell, with one reaching the size of a golf ball.
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After a series of tests, including a biopsy, he was told that he had a “very aggressive” form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
“Three days later, my 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,’” he told PEOPLE.“I went from, I got a little bit of a head cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming,” he says. “This has been a really fast roller coaster ride of a journey.”
Coulier shared that he and his wife and some of their friends decided to face the diagnosis “head on.”
Together they came up with a plan to fight the disease. Thankfully, the actor has a 90% chance of beating the cancer after his bone marrow tests came back negative, meaning that the cancer hasn’t spread to his bones.
In a recent episode of his podcast, Full House Rewind, Coulier said that he started chemotherapy treatments two weeks after his diagnosis. He also shaved his head as a “preemptive strike.”
He also shared his intention to be strong through this battle for his wife and son. And he’s drawing inspiration to fight from his mom, sister, and niece, all of whom he lost to breast cancer. He also shared that his older sister, Karen, is currently fighting her own cancer battle.
“My sister was a registered nurse, and so she’s seen this from different optics than I have. She’s been so supportive and she’s funny. So we’re making jokes about this. One of my jokes is in four short weeks I’ve gone from a Virgo to a Cancer,” Dave shared. “I’m a huge hockey fan. So when they said ‘You’ve got NHL,’ I thought, ‘I finally made it to the NHL.’”
While the news of his cancer diagnosis was initially a shock, Dave Coulier said that he’s had an “inner calm” about it and is at peace with whatever the outcome might be.
And he has a lot to fight for and look forward to….like being a grandpa! His only son, Luc, and his wife are expecting their first child, a baby boy due in March.
“I’ve got to teach him how to play hockey,” he says. “There’s a lot to look forward to.”
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Coulier hopes to inspire others with his story and encourage his fans to be screened for cancer before it’s took late.
“Take great care of yourself because there’s a lot to live for,” he said. “And if that means talking with your doctors or getting a mammogram or a breast exam or colonoscopy, it can really make a big change in your life.”
Who is Dave Coulier?
Dave Coulier is a multi-talented entertainer, comedian, actor, and podcast host. He portrayed Joey Gladstone on ABC sitcom Full House from 1987 to 1995. He landed the role of his lifetime thanks to his relationship with the show’s co-star Bob Saget with whom he lived when he moved to California early in his career.
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Bob Saget died in January of 2022 after suffering a fatal head injury due to an accidental fall.
Watch Dave Coulier share his cancer diagnosis on Full House Rewind in the clip below.