After Surviving Cancer, Dave Coulier Gets a Nasty 'Shock'

The trials keep coming for Fuller House star Dave Coulier, who revealed Tuesday he's battling a second, unrelated cancer just months after declaring himself a survivor of stage 3 non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Coulier, 66, told the Today show that he was diagnosed with HPV-related oropharyngeal tongue cancer during a routine follow-up scan in October, just seven months after finishing chemotherapy. "It's a shock to the system," Coulier said of the second diagnosis, coming so soon after he was determined to be cancer-free. Thankfully, the tongue cancer was detected early, and doctors say it's highly treatable, with a 90% curability rate.

Coulier said an abnormality at the base of his tongue had grown by October, when a biopsy revealed cancer cells. The cancer, P16 carcinoma, is caused by an infection of HPV-16, a high-risk type. Doctors said the infection itself could've happened "up to 30 years ago," said Coulier, who's now in the process of undergoing 35 sessions of radiation therapy, which is expected to last through the end of the year. Despite the physical and emotional toll, Coulier remains optimistic, crediting early detection for potentially saving his life twice. "The silver lining here is that I had cancer, which helped me detect my other cancer," he told Today. "So I hope you're getting your check-ups," he added, per People. "They will save your life."