Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has issued a defiant message after finding out his cancer has returned.
The musician, who has been in the band since 1992, has declared he’s determined to keep living his life, despite most likely needing another major operation.
Campbell, 63, underwent a donor bone marrow transplant in January 2025 after first being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2013.
Hodgkin lymphoma is also called cancer of the lymphatic system. It is an uncommon cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes.
Campbell took some time out to recover from his surgery before rejoining the Pour Some Sugar On Me hitmakers in May this year. A month later, he revealed he was in remission.
Now, he’s confirmed the cancer is back and expects to need another transplant.
Despite the setback, the rocker refuses to let his illness define him and has urged fellow cancer patients to do the same.
Speaking on El Salvador’s Radio YSKL FM, he said: ‘Well, I think you have to keep moving forward. And I do think that that’s what helped me, even when I was at a really low ebb with cancer treatment.
‘The fact that I could still continue to work, that gives me something to live for, something that you enjoy, that you’re passionate about, that you can wake up in the morning and look forward to. I think that deflects, that takes away from focusing too much on cancer.’
He continued: ‘Unfortunately, I have met people in my life who, when they’ve gotten a cancer diagnosis, they’ve only focused on that. And 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.
‘I’ve always felt like I’m gonna continue to live my life as much as possible.’
In fact, Campbell feels ‘even more’ inclined to make the most of every day after receiving his diagnosis, because it has ‘amplified’ his desire to ‘tick all the boxes’ and ‘do the things’ he wants to do.
‘But I also consider myself very fortunate because I caught my cancer early. So, it’s always been more about managing my cancer,’ he added.
Confirming he was no longer cancer-free, the performer admitted there has only been ‘one time’ when he felt his cancer was going to ‘kill [him]’.
‘In the winter of 2023, I got really scared about what was happening and the pace at which it was happening,’ he recalled. This was when he realised he needed a donor transplant.
‘It was my only hope to survive.’
Unfortunately, the transplant of last year ‘didn’t stick’, so Campbell is continuing various treatments to manage his cancer for a second time.
He said he’ll ‘probably have to do another transplant within a few years with another donor’, hoping that might ‘cure’ him.
‘But in the meantime, I’m certainly not slowing down. I’m doing as much with my life as possible, not just with Def Leppard and with [his side project] Last In Line.’
Away from music, he’s been rally driving, as it’s something he’s always wanted to do, having aspired to be either a guitarist or a race car driver as a child.
‘So, I’m very, very, very fortunate and blessed that I get to do both.’
Concluding wisely that ‘life is for the living’, he encouraged everyone else to prioritise their own health.
‘And if you are unfortunate enough to get a cancer diagnosis, to overcome the fear.
‘Fear is inevitable when you’re first told those words. But once you get over that, you gotta realise just how to manage it and how to deal with it as best as possible, and just don’t give in.’
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
