A beloved ’90s television star has been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer.

Dave Coulier, best known for his role as Joey Gladstone on “Full House,” revealed Wednesday that he was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma last month. The blood cancer was discovered after he contracted a respiratory infection that caused large swelling in his lymph nodes, leading to a lump in his groin. When doctors removed it, a biopsy showed it was cancerous.

“(M)y doctors called me back and said, ‘We wish we had better news for you, but you have non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and it’s called B-cell and it’s very aggressive,’” the actor said. stand up comedian. People magazine. “I went from, I got a little cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming.”

Coulier, 65, played a comedian known for jokes like “Cut. It. Out” and a ventriloquist routine with a beaver named Mr. Woodchuck in the ’90s TV show and its sequel series “Fuller House.” He also famously dated Alanis Morissette before the release of her hit “You Oughta Know” and has voiced characters in “Muppet Babies,” “The Real Ghostbusters,” “Robot Chicken” and “American Dad!”

Coulier told NBC’s “Today” show that he tries to maintain a sense of humor during his health battle.

“My joke is that I went from a Virgo to a Cancer in four short weeks,” he said. “I’ve tried to keep a sense of reality, but also a sense of humor.”

According to the American Cancer Society, non-Hodgkin lymphoma develops in white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system. More than 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with the disease each year, and the relative five-year survival rate is 74%.

“It’s very treatable,” Coulier said, noting that his particular cancer has not spread to his bone marrow and could have a cure rate of more than 90%.

Coulier said he has already started chemotherapy and is expected to undergo six rounds in the coming months. Doctors told him and his wife Melissa that he could expect a “total remission” after February 2025.

“You hear ‘chemo’ and it scares you,” Coulier told NBC. “The first round was quite intense because you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how you’re going to feel. Is this going to affect me right away? Will it be devastating? Should I walk out of here?”

“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. There are days when I feel incredible,” he added. “Then there are other days where… I just lay down and let this be what it will be.”

Coulier, who said he lost his mother and sister to cancer, said he opened up about his diagnosis to encourage others to get screened to help detect the presence of cancer.

He also said he has a lot to look forward to, including becoming a grandfather when his son welcomes his first child, seeing his old friend John Stamos later this week, and continuing to film episodes of the ‘Full House Rewind’ podcast. Coulier and Stamos co-starred in “Full House,” which originally ran from 1987 to 1995 with a cast that included Bob Saget, Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Lori Loughlin, Andrea Barber and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.