Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell Reveals Hodgkin Lymphoma Relapse After Donor Transplant
核心洞察
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell confirmed his Hodgkin lymphoma (搜索) has returned after a January 2025 donor (bone marrow) transplant that "didn't stick."
Campbell, diagnosed in 2013, previously achieved remission through a combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and a stem cell transplant.
He plans to undergo another transplant with a different donor within a few years and continues treatments to manage the disease.
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has confirmed that his Hodgkin lymphoma (搜索) has returned, revealing that a donor transplant he underwent in January 2025 ultimately "didn't stick." The 63-year-old musician, who was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, shared the news in an interview with Francisco Sigüenza on El Salvador's Radio YSKL FM, as transcribed by Blabbermouth.
"Unfortunately, it didn't stick. So, the cancer has returned," Campbell said. "And I'm continuing treatments to manage it. I'll probably have to do another transplant within a few years with another donor to try and see if maybe that would cure me. But in the meantime, I'm certainly not slowing down."
A Decade-Long Battle with Hodgkin Lymphoma
Campbell has been battling Hodgkin lymphoma (搜索) since 2013. In 2025, he had announced that he was "completely in remission" after receiving a mix of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and a stem cell transplant. That remission followed a bone marrow transplant he received in January 2025, which he described at the time on social media as "a very successful transplant" that required him to "keep my head down and my spirits up for the next 100 days of primary recovery."
The transplant was prompted by a frightening period in the winter of 2023. "There's only been one time that I felt it was gonna kill me," Campbell said. "In the 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. I did that in January of '25."
The Role of Immunotherapy
For much of his treatment journey, Campbell has managed the disease with immunotherapy. He told the Lymphoma Voices podcast in 2023 that, beginning in June 2015, he started taking the drug pembrolizumab.
"Starting in June of 2015, I started taking a drug called pembrolizumab," Campbell said. "I remember that at the time my doctors wanted me to do radiation and maybe a combination of radiation and chemo. And I just thought, 'Well, let's just try this immunotherapy thing. Let's see if this works.' So I managed to get on the trial. I'm happy to say that it worked well for me."
Campbell described his ongoing experience with the disease as a persistent but manageable challenge. "I'm still dealing with the lymphoma," he told the podcast. "It's sort of like — it's an American expression — Whac-a-Mole. You beat something back and then it pops up somewhere else. But it's been a pretty consistent battle, but it hasn't been too difficult for me. I deal with it fine. I've been able to live my life."
A Message of Resilience
Despite the relapse, Campbell emphasized his determination to continue living fully. "I've always felt like I'm gonna 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 wanna do," he said. "But I also consider myself very fortunate because I caught my cancer early. So, it's always been more about managing my cancer."
Campbell, who is also known for his time in Dio and Whitesnake and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Def Leppard in 2019, said he remains active not only with Def Leppard and Last In Line but also in rally driving. "Life is for the living," he added, encouraging others facing a cancer diagnosis to "overcome the fear" and "not give in."