Dave Coulier shares update on cancer treatment: 'The side effects have side effects'
Dave Coulier is opening up about how his battle with cancer has "been a roller coaster ride."
The "Full House" alum, who announced in November that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, shared an update about his health on the latest episode of his "Full House Rewind" podcast and talked about how he's been adjusting to chemotherapy.
"The side effects have side effects," Coulier said. "And then you take a drug to counteract that and this and that. So it's this constant cocktail where your body is in fight of flight mode and you're just trying to adjust to okay, how am I adjusting to steroids? How am I adjusting to the chemo cocktail?"
He continued, "Your body's in a constant fight. It's a little bit of an internal battle."
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that forms in the lymph system, part of the immune system that helps protect the body from infection and disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma include "swollen lymph nodes, fever, drenching night sweats, weight loss, and fatigue," according to the National Cancer Institute. Treatment for the disease includes various types of therapy, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. But treatment can also come with side effects, the National Cancer Institute says.
Despite how "out of sorts" he's felt, Coulier said sharing his cancer journey with others has been "worth it" if it means he's able to raise awareness about getting screened for cancer.
"I have heard from so many people who have been affected by cancer in their lives and the words of encouragement have I think really helped people," he said. "So that, to me, is worth the journey of all this."
"Just being able to alert people that it's okay to get a colonoscopy or early screenings or a mammogram, it's really worth it," he continued.
Coulier added, "Early detection means everything. And for so many people, it can save your life, which is remarkable."
