Dave Coulier Discloses Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Diagnosis—Essential Information

Dave Coulier has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

The 'Full House' star revealed his diagnosis Wednesday in an exclusive interview with People, and on his podcast 'Full House Rewind.'

Coulier, 65, said that he was diagnosed in October after an upper respiratory infection caused severe swelling in his lymph nodes. In an interview with TODAY.com, he said that a 'golf ball-sized lump' in his groin signaled that something wasn't right.

'“It swelled up immediately,' Coulier told TODAY.com. “I thought, ‘Wow, I’m either really sick, or my body’s really reacting to something.’”

After bloodwork and multiple imaging tests, a biopsy on the lump gave Coulier his stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis.

'It's called B cell and it's very aggressive,' Coulier told People. 'I went from 'I got a little bit of a head cold,' to 'I have cancer,' and it was pretty overwhelming. This has been a really fast roller coaster ride of a journey.'

Two weeks after his October diagnosis, Coulier started chemotherapy. He's now been through six rounds of the cancer treatment and said he has good days and bad days with symptoms.

'Some days are nauseous and dizzy, and then there's other days where the steroids kick in, and I feel like I have a ton of energy,” Coulier told People.

Coulier's diagnosis has sparked questions online about non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including symptoms and risk factors for the disease, along with survival rates. Here's what to know, according to oncologists.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, part of the immune system that helps protect the body from infection and disease.

B-cell lymphoma—the type Coulier has—is a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects the body's B lymphocytes or B cells, which protect the body against germs by making antibodies. B-cell lymphomas are the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the American Cancer Society.

Having stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma typically means the cancer has impacted the lymph nodes above and below the diaphragm, and potentially in the spleen, according to David Bond, MD, a hematologist who specializes in the treatment of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

'This stage requires immediate and thorough treatment,' Yumeng Zhang, MD, a hematologist in the Malignant Hematology Department at Moffitt Cancer Center, told Health.

There is a range of potential symptoms with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Those include:

“The most common way that patients are diagnosed with aggressive with non-Hodgkin lymphoma is they notice an enlarged lymph node,” said Bond—that can also be sparked by an infection, like Coulier experienced. “With infections, sometimes the lymph node becomes larger and noticeable,” Bond added.

Wael Harb, MD, a hematologist and medical oncologist at MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in Orange County, CA, agrees. “The biggest symptoms we see is a lump, usually an enlarged lymph node,” he said. “Typically, it's painless.”

Harb added that it’s important to recognize the early signs of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “If an enlarged lymph node isn’t’ resolving within a few weeks, it’s important to have it evaluated,” he said.

“In most cases, we don’t have a clear cause [for non-Hodgkin lymphoma],” said Bond.

However, there are certain factors that raise the risk of being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma:

Treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma can vary depending on a person’s stage and where the cancer is located, said Bond. Options include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted drug therapy, radiation therapy, stem cell transplant, and surgery.

“Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas are generally treated with chemotherapy drugs and often monoclonal antibodies,” said Bond. “Typically, this is for a limited time—six months or less.”

When it comes to prognosis, Bond said that “a lot depends on the specifics.” However, the five-year survival rate for all stages of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is 65%, with regional lymphomas (like stage 3) at 74%.

“In general, the goal of treatment is [a cure],” Bond said. “There have been significant improvements in survival and rates of cure in the past 15 years.”

According to Coulier, it's important for him to be open about his health. “I'm not going to try and hide anything,” he said on his podcast. “I would rather talk about it and open the discussion and inspire people.”

He also hopes that his story will urge others to take their health seriously.

“Take great care of yourself, because there's a lot to live for,” Coulier told People. “And if that means talking with your doctors or getting a mammogram or a breast exam or colonoscopy, it can really make a big change in your life.”