'Full House' Star Reveals Stage 3 Cancer Diagnosis

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Dave Coulier has been diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The Full House star, known for playing Uncle Joey, opened up about his "roller coaster" health struggle on the Wednesday, November 13 episode of the Today show. "[I was] feeling like I got punched in the stomach because it never happens to you. You always hear about it happening to someone else," he said of learning of his diagnosis.

The first symptom he experienced was a lump in his groin. The 65-year-old comedian said he was "on pins and needles for a few days" as he waited to hear whether the disease had spread to other parts of his body. However, he was told that the cancer had not progressed past his lymphatic system.

Actor / Comedian Dave Coulier attends the 30th annual Scleroderma Benefit at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on June 16, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. In November 2024, Coulier revealed his stage 3 cancer... Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

"I'm OK with whatever the news [is] going to be no matter how devastating. ... I've had an incredible life. I've had the most amazing people in my life. This has been an extraordinary journey, and I'm OK if this is the end of the journey," he recalled telling wife Melissa Coulier, to whom he's been married since July 2014, while waiting to hear if the cancer had spread.

He has since started chemotherapy treatment, which he described as "intense," and admitted that it "scared the daylights" out of him. The Fuller House alum is set to undergo six rounds of chemotherapy every three weeks, and expects the treatment to be finished by February 2025.

"There [are] days where I feel unbelievable. Then there's other days where ... I'm just going to lay down and let this be what it's going to be," Coulier said of the treatment process. Though the diagnosis may sound scary, Coulier assured fans that the curability rate is a promising one.

Videos from his Today appearance were quickly shared to Coulier's social media accounts — including a clip of him receiving a hug from his longtime friend, and Today's weather anchor, Al Roker.

In one of the videos, the '90s star explains why he wanted to share his diagnosis. "If I can help someone who's watching today get an early screening, a breast exam, a colonoscopy, a prostate exam, go do it — because for me, early detection meant everything," he said.

Today anchor Hoda Kotb praised his "beautiful attitude," and Coulier shared some of the things helping him get through his "journey." He said, "Keep laughing your way through life, that's important, and keep your friends and family close."