Dave Coulier Had Part of His Tongue Removed to Beat Cancer — Here’s What He Endured

Dave Coulier’s recent health journey has been marked by two separate cancer diagnoses in just over a year. And the Full House alum has described the ordeal as physically and emotionally draining. The actor was first diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in late 2024, undergoing months of chemotherapy before announcing he was cancer-free in early 2025. During routine follow-up imaging later that year, doctors discovered a new and unrelated cancer at the base of his tongue. Here’s what he endured to clear his cancer.

‘Full House’ star Dave Coulier had part of his tongue removed to treat his tongue cancer

Dave Coulier has faced two distinct and unrelated cancer diagnoses within a short span, a rare and emotionally taxing ordeal the actor has spoken about candidly. In late 2024, the Full House alum was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma after an upper respiratory illness caused rapid swelling in his lymph nodes. This prompted PET and CT scans that confirmed the blood cancer. He underwent months of chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free in early 2025.

However, doctors detected a new abnormality that led to a second diagnosis during a routine follow-up. They found p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma at the base of his tongue, an HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer that physicians emphasized was completely unrelated to his lymphoma. The tongue cancer required a painful biopsy that removed part of his tongue, followed by 35 rounds of targeted radiation. Doctors cited a high cure rate due to early detection. Coulier has repeatedly credited the early detection with saving his life twice.

Coulier discussed his remission from both cancers while on Good Morning America in February 2026. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride for sure,” he said. The actor then explained how the tongue cancer was discovered following a PET scan. “It revealed that something was in my throat,” he continued, noting that he had robotic surgery to remove part of his tongue. “That’s painful surgery,” Coulier said. “And then it was revealed that I had carcinoma, and totally unrelated. Had I not gone in for that PET scan and gotten early detection, it saved my life.”

Here’s what tongue cancer treatment entails

Treatment for tongue cancer depends on the tumor’s size, location, stage, and HPV/p16 status. However, it often involves a combination of surgery, radiation, and sometimes chemotherapy, according to the Mayo Clinic. Targeted therapies and immunotherapy are also sometimes used.

For early-stage cancers, surgeons may perform a partial glossectomy. This involves removing only the portion of the tongue affected by cancer while preserving as much speech and swallowing function as possible. In more advanced or aggressive cases, a near-total or total glossectomy may be necessary. This is sometimes accompanied by neck dissection to remove lymph nodes where the cancer commonly spreads. Modern reconstructive techniques can rebuild the tongue using tissue from the arm or leg, allowing many patients to regain basic speech and swallowing with intensive therapy.

Radiation therapy is a cornerstone of treatment for tongue and base-of-tongue cancer. This can cause severe but often temporary side effects such as mouth sores, loss of taste, dry mouth, and difficulty eating. Chemotherapy is sometimes added to enhance radiation’s effectiveness, particularly in advanced disease. Research shows that HPV-associated, p16-positive tongue cancers respond especially well to radiation.

Dave Coulier said he feels as if cancer is ‘always in the rearview mirror’

While undergoing tongue surgery was certainly painful for Dave Coulier, he also commented on how radiation treatments affected his life. “It can steal parts of your life away from you,” he said on Good Morning America, “psychologically, emotionally, and certainly physically. And I wasn’t going to allow cancer to do that. I was going to laugh my way through it and keep the people that I love close to me, and that helps.”

Coulier added that he “never wanted to be the poster boy for cancer.” However, after going through it and beating it twice, he wants to help others. “I feel like I can encourage people to get those prostate exams, and mammograms, and just talk to your doctors and get ahead of this. Because, even though I’m in remission, I feel like cancer’s always in the rearview mirror behind me. … So, early detection really means everything.”

The Full House star also mentioned his incredible support system, which included his co-star John Stamos. He noted how the actor consistently made him laugh through treatment. “He wore a bald cap, and when he came around the corner dressed like that, I dropped to the floor laughing,” Coulier noted.