Full House Star Reveals ‘Aggressive’ Cancer Diagnosis

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Full House (and Fuller House) actor Dave Coulier has received an “aggressive” stage-three non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis, he revealed to People and on his podcast, Full House Rewind, on Wednesday. The discovery came about in the course of treatment for what Coulier thought was an upper respiratory infection that caused swollen lymph nodes, he told People. His doctor recommended a biopsy. “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 said. “I went from ‘I got a little bit of a head cold’ to ‘I have cancer,’ and it was pretty overwhelming.”

Coulier has already begun chemotherapy treatments, and he told People that he preemptively shaved his head in anticipation of hair loss. “I’ve often worn many hats in my life and career, and today I’m wearing this hat for another reason,” he joked on Full House Rewind. “I guess I look a little bit like Mr. Woodchuck now. But it kind of looks military a little bit, and it’s appropriate, because this is my own personal battle.” He also noted to People that he and his family responded quickly to the diagnosis, and that after a bone-marrow test came back negative, his “chances of curable went from something low to 90 percent range.”

“If my encouragement can lead you to get checked out by your doctor sooner than later,” he said on the podcast, “and can possibly help even just one of you, well, this little journey that I’m on is all going to be worth it.”

The comedian ended the podcast episode in classic Uncle Joey fashion — with a double whammy of corny dad jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood. “In three weeks, I’ve gone from a Virgo to a Cancer,” he quipped. “And non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, they call it NHL. I finally made it to the NHL.” As someone who spent my teen years binge-watching Full House, I can only hope that the powerful spirit of dad jokes will help prop up Coulier’s treatment plan for a full recovery so we can continue to enjoy his comforting presence for years to come.