Health
What to know about actor Dave Coulier’s blood cancer: ‘Very aggressive’
Dave Coulier, 65, announced on Tuesday that he has stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The actor and comedian, best known for his role as Joey Gladstone in “Full House” from 1987 to 1995, said he was diagnosed in October after experiencing an upper respiratory infection caused by major swelling in his lymph nodes.
“Three days later, my doctors called me back, and they said, ‘We wish we had better news for you, but you have non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and it’s called B cell, and it’s very aggressive,’” he told People.
‘FULL HOUSE’ STAR DAVE COULIER DIAGNOSED WITH ‘VERY AGGRESSIVE’ CANCER
What is non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (also known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, NHL or lymphoma) is a blood cancer that originates in the white blood cells (lymphocytes) that are part of the body’s immune system, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Dave Coulier, 65, announced on Tuesday that he has stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (Getty Images)
Every year, more than 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with NHL.
“Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are a diverse group of white blood cell cancers that can vary greatly in terms of how aggressive or indolent they are,” Dr. Joshua Strauss, an attending hematologist and medical oncologist at Advanced Care Oncology and Hematology Associates of the Atlantic Medical Group in Morristown, New Jersey, told Fox News Digital.
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Patients with aggressive types of NHL may develop rapidly growing masses that they can feel, or they may experience more general symptoms, such as fevers, night sweats and unintentional weight loss, noted Strauss, who has not treated Coulier.
An important part of diagnosis is determining what type of lymphoma the patient has, according to the ACS.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (also known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, NHL or lymphoma) is a blood cancer that originates in the white blood cells (lymphocytes) that are part of the body’s immune system. (iStock)
“The type of lymphoma depends on what type of lymphocyte is affected (B cells or T cells), how mature the cells are when they become cancerous and other factors,” the organization states on its website.
Stages and treatment
Like other cancers, lymphomas are assigned a stage, from 1 to 4.
People with stages 1 and 2 have “limited disease,” according to Strauss, while patients with stages 3 and 4 have “advanced disease,” where the disease has spread to multiple areas of the body.
Every year, more than 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“However, as opposed to some other cancers, prognosis in NHL is more affected by histopathology, which is the particular subtype as determined by the appearance of the cancer under the microscope,” the doctor said.
Depending on the subtype, some patients with stage 3 disease can have an “excellent prognosis,” Strauss said, with recent advances in treatment improving outcomes.
Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma is typically treated with intravenous chemo-immunotherapy.
“This is a cocktail of various chemotherapy drugs combined with an immune treatment that attacks the cancer cells while trying to spare normal cells,” Strauss said.
Aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma is typically treated with intravenous chemo-immunotherapy. (iStock)
After several months of treatment, doctors typically use imaging to determine whether any cancer remains.
Coulier revealed in the “Full House Rewind” podcast that he started chemotherapy two weeks after his diagnosis, and preemptively shaved his head.
Who is at greatest risk?
While anyone can be diagnosed with NHL, there are several known risk factors.
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“People with autoimmune diseases or those who take medications to suppress the immune system may be at higher risk of developing NHL over time,” Strauss said.
“The type of lymphoma depends on what type of lymphocyte is affected (B cells or T cells), how mature the cells are when they become cancerous and other factors,” according to the American Cancer Society. (iStock)
Certain infections, such as HIV and Epstein-Barr infection, as well as exposure to chemicals such as pesticides, may increase risk, the doctor warned.
“While NHL can occur at any age, risk increases as we get older,” he said.
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The cancer type has also been associated with smoking and obesity, Strauss said — “so quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy weight may be protective.”
Coulier (left) is best known for his role as Joey Gladstone in “Full House” from 1987 to 1995 (right). (Getty Images)
Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed reporting.
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As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
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The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
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“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
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More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
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When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
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A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
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Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
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“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
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Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
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Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
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