Health
Tongue cancer warning signs highlighted after ‘Full House’ star’s diagnosis
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On the heels of comedian Dave Coulier’s announcement of his tongue cancer diagnosis, experts are sharing what to know about the disease.
Coulier, 66, announced in a Tuesday interview that he has been diagnosed with early-stage P16 carcinoma, or oropharyngeal tongue cancer.
“Oropharyngeal” refers to cancer that begins at the base of the tongue. The “P16” indicates that it is associated with HPV (human papillomavirus).
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The news comes just months after the “Full House” star announced his battle with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. The tongue cancer is “totally unrelated” to that initial cancer, he told “Today” in the interview.
“I went in for a PET scan, just a routine check-up, and something flared on the PET scan,” Coulier said. “It turned out that I have P16 squamous carcinoma at the base of my tongue.”
Dave Coulier, 66, announced in a Tuesday interview that he has been diagnosed with early-stage P16 carcinoma, or oropharyngeal tongue cancer. (Getty Images)
The comedian had announced on April 1 that he was cancer-free following the non-Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnosis.
“To go through chemotherapy and feel that relief of whoah, it’s gone, and then to get a test that says, well now you’ve got another kind of cancer … it is a shock to the system,” he said.
Coulier shared that he will undergo a course of 35 radiation treatments.
What to know about tongue cancer
Tongue cancer can affect the front of the tongue (oral cavity) or the base/back of the tongue (oropharynx), according to the National Cancer Institute. Risk factors and prognosis can differ substantially depending on the location of the cancer.
In 2025, it is expected that there will be about 20,040 new cases of tongue cancer and approximately 3,270 deaths, the NCI states. (These numbers only include cancers that begin in the front two-thirds of the tongue.)
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When including all oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers — which totals all mouth and throat cancers — the numbers rise to 59,660 new cases and about 12,770 deaths in 2025, per the American Cancer Society.
The overall five-year survival rate for tongue cancer is 71%.
The news comes just months after the “Full House” star, pictured with co-star John Stamos (left), announced his battle with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. (Getty Images)
Studies have shown that cases have been on the rise in the U.S. in recent years, affecting almost all age groups and races.
“The rise is linked to the dramatic rise of HPV,” Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel told Fox News Digital. “It can metastasize, but the prognosis is 80% to 90% curable if it’s HPV-related.”
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George Semeniuk, M.D., a medical oncologist and hematologist at City of Hope in Newport Beach, California, agreed that tongue cancer is one of the fastest-rising head and neck cancers doctors are seeing.
“Early detection is critical,” he told Fox News Digital.
Warning signs and risk factors
Some of the earliest warning signs of tongue cancer include a persistent sore or ulcer on the tongue, pain when swallowing, a lump or changes in speech, according to Semeniuk.
“Anything that lasts longer than two weeks should be evaluated by a specialist,” he advised.
Some of the earliest warning signs of tongue cancer include a persistent sore or ulcer on the tongue, pain when swallowing, a lump in the throat or changes in speech. (iStock)
Siegel added, “Look out for a sore that won’t heal or difficulty swallowing. Show your doctor, ENT or dentist.”
Other common signs include a lump or thickening on the tongue; red or white patches on the tongue or lining of the mouth; persistent tongue, pain in the mouth, jaw or throat; and numbness or burning in the tongue, according to multiple health sources.
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Those affected may also notice difficulty chewing, swallowing or speaking, or unexpected bleeding in the area.
If the cancer has spread, the patient may notice a lump in the neck (from enlarged lymph nodes), ear pain (usually on one side), or stiffness or swelling of the jaw.
The standard treatment for tongue cancer is largely dependent on the stage of the disease and where it is located. (iStock)
The biggest risk factors for tongue cancer are tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption and HPV, Semeniuk noted.
“We are also seeing increasing cases in younger adults who have never smoked, which underscores the role HPV can play,” he said. “People with long-standing mouth irritation, weakened immune systems or poor oral hygiene may also be at higher risk.”
Treatment and prognosis
The standard treatment for tongue cancer is largely dependent on the stage of the disease and where it is located, according to experts.
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“Treatment depends on the stage and location of the tumor, but often involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and, in more advanced cases, chemotherapy or targeted therapies,” Semeniuk said.
“At City of Hope, we also use minimally invasive surgical approaches and precision-guided therapies to preserve speech and swallowing whenever possible.”
Coulier shared that he will undergo a course of 35 radiation treatments. (Getty Images)
Siegel noted that tongue cancer tumors tend to be more responsive to surgical resection, radiation and chemotherapy.
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“Prognosis is significantly better when tongue cancer is diagnosed early. If detected at an early stage, cure rates can be quite high,” Semeniuk told Fox News Digital.
“That’s why it’s so important for people to pay attention to changes in their mouth and seek care promptly. Regular dental visits and HPV vaccination are also important steps in lowering risk.”
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FIRST ON FOX: Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated, according to celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the restaurateur and owner of New York City’s new Bar Rocco – whose philosophy and cookbooks are rooted in health-conscious dieting – shared a few misconceptions about healthy eating, especially when the end goal is weight loss.
“There is no one fix, there’s no one cure for everyone,” he said. “Everyone has different needs and their weight-loss journey is going to be different. So, you really have to figure out what your problem is.”
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This could be a body composition imbalance, a lack of exercise or a generally poor diet, DiSpirito mentioned. “Figure out what will help you address those issues most quickly,” he advised.
Rocco DiSpirito recently opened Bar Rocco in New York City. The Rockefeller Center location offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Eric Medsker)
“Even if you’re working out, unless you’re LeBron James and burning 8,000 calories a game, there’s no way to out-train a bad diet, so at some point in our lives, we have to come to a reckoning with what we consume.”
DiSpirito says it’s “always a good idea” to start with the basics, including consuming less sugar, less alcohol, fewer processed foods and fewer processed carbs, as well as eating more protein.
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The chef revealed that the No. 1 issue he’s witnessed is that people have “no idea how many calories they’re consuming.”
“We’re all consuming two to three times more than we realize,” he noted. “And even when we count and use the apps, there’s a lot of fuzzy math going on.”
“So, getting a handle on how much you’re consuming, even the little picking that you do while you’re cooking and cleaning, all that counts and adds up quickly.”
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As the healthy eating movement gains traction, DiSpirito called it “very important” for most of the U.S., as the country faces an “obesity issue.”
“Restaurants are definitely thinking about it as well,” he said. “[But] I wouldn’t say restaurants are making it their [top] priority.”
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“We still have a lot of work to do just getting people in and seated and fed and their checks to them when they want. But there are some restaurants that are focused on it.”
As the healthy eating movement gains traction, DiSpirito called it “very important” for most of the U.S., as the country faces an “obesity issue.” (iStock)
Privately, DiSpirito said he has focused on providing healthy meal plans for clients.
“But for restaurants to approach healthy eating is a little difficult, because it’s a whole different kind of cooking and a [different] kind of energy,” he said.
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“Healthy eating isn’t fun – so to bring that into a fun atmosphere is kind of difficult. It’s difficult to mix the two.”
This crossroads between indulgence and health may be a tricky mix, especially among the food supply in America, DiSpirito acknowledged – but the two align more easily in other countries where the food is not tampered with, he added.
Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito says other countries, like Italy, “don’t allow a lot of messing around with food that we allow in the United States.” (Jonathan Pushnik)
“If you go to Italy, for example, and just eat everything they eat, it feels indulgent … and it’s also very healthy,” he said. “And the key is the food supply is still natural. It’s still organic.”
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“There aren’t lots of sprayed food [or] sprayed vegetables in Italy,” DiSpirito went on. “They don’t allow a lot of messing around with food that we allow in the United States, the GMO-ing, the modifying.”
“So healthy and indulgent are not mutually exclusive, but in [our] food supply system … it’s very difficult.”
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