Dave Coulier, Full House's goofy Uncle Joey, is battling cancer once more — months after ending his fight with lymphoma.
The beloved sitcom star, 66, announced Tuesday that he was diagnosed in October with a form of tongue cancer. Coulier revealed the latest update about his health when he returned to NBC's Today, where he announced his Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis last year.
"I went in for a PET scan, just a routine checkup, and something flared on the PET scan," the comedian said on Today. "It turned out that I have P16 squamous carcinoma at the base of my tongue."
Doctors said that the two cancers are "totally unrelated," he added.
In a separate off-air conversation with Today, Coulier explained that the cancer "could stem from having an HPV virus up to 30 years ago," adding that doctors said his virus "activated and turned into a carcinoma."
According to the American Cancer Society, P16 refers to the protein that signals an HPV infection. The Mayo Clinic says squamous cell carcinoma is a form of cancer that begins as a growth on the cells of the skin and that an HPV infection is among the risk factors.
Coulier explained to Today that doctors initially spotted the mass at the base of his tongue and performed a "very painful" biopsy, which didn't show signs of cancer. Doctors in October noticed the growth had increased in size and flared up, prompting Coulier to seek additional testing. Doctors performed another biopsy, removing a larger piece of his tongue, and the sample tested positive for cancerous cells, according to Today.
Coulier added during Tuesday's broadcast that he is undergoing 35 rounds of radiation treatment to address the tongue cancer and plans to wrap up treatment by the end of the year — Dec. 31, specifically.
"[The] prognosis is very good for P16 squamous carcinoma," Coulier reassured. "It has a 90+ curability rate."
Since battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma last year, Coulier has been open about his health, sharing details about his treatment, recalling the cancer's toll on his immune system and reveling in the outpouring of support from his Full House family. He was deemed cancer-free in late March.
During his Today appearance, Coulier was also open about how his first cancer battle inspired him to launch AwearMarket, an online marketplace that features what it calls "non-toxic brands," specialising in everyday goods such as hygiene products and clothing. Reflecting on his weakened immune system, Coulier said he "started to see that I was surrounded by toxicity."
"All the products I was using in my life were really bad, filled with really bad things," he said, adding that he launched Awear with the mission of replacing those products.
Coulier ended his Today appearance by saying that "early detection saved my life" in both cancer battles. Tests, including prostate exams and mammograms, Coulier said, "will save your life." – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
