Legendary rock guitarist Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard, DIO) has revealed an update on his cancer diagnosis, and it’s unfortunate news. Following an unsuccessful surgical procedure that doctors hoped would get all the sickness out of his body, Campbell has revealed that he again has a positive diagnosis.
“I also consider myself very fortunate because I caught my cancer early. So it’s always been more about managing my cancer,” Campbell said in an interview with YSKL FM. “There’s only been one time that I felt it was going to kill me. In Winter of 2023, I got really scared about what was happening and the pace at which it was happening, and I realized at that point that I had to do a donor transplant. It was my only hope to survive, and that’s what I did.”
It was in 2013 that Campbell was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In January 2025, he underwent a bone marrow transplant that, regrettably, didn’t take the way his doctors had hoped. Still, the iconic musician is going to try the procedure again and keep fighting. “I’m certainly not slowing down. I’m doing as much with my life as possible,” he said.
Vivian Campbell’s new diagnosis will require more surgery and medical treatment
Campbell later shared where his head has been and what keeps him going.
“Unfortunately, I have met people in my life who, when they’ve gotten a cancer diagnosis, they’ve only focused on that. They think, ‘Oh, I can’t do anything, I need to stay in bed, I can’t eat this, I can’t do that, I can’t go there.’ I’ve never felt that way,” he said. “I’ve always felt like I’m going to continue to live my life as much as possible—in fact, even more so. After getting a cancer diagnosis, it amplifies that desire to tick all the boxes, to do the things you want to do.”
“Life is for the living, and I encourage everyone to look after their own health,” Campbell continued. “If you are unfortunate enough to get a cancer diagnosis, overcome the fear. Fear is inevitable when you’re first told those words. But once you get over that, you’ve got to realize how to manage it and how to deal with it as best as possible.
Finally, he added, “Just don’t give in.”
Photo by Per Ole Hagen/Redferns
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