Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell’s Hodgkin lymphoma returns
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Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that his cancer has returned, just months after declaring himself in remission. The 63-year-old Irish musician had undergone a donor stem cell transplant that doctors said was his best chance of a cure, but he says it "didn't stick" and the disease is now back, marking a fresh setback in a battle he has fought since 2013.
Campbell disclosed the relapse in an interview with Francisco Sigüenza of El Salvador's Radio YSKL FM, having told Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation as recently as June 2025 that he was "completely in remission" from Hodgkin lymphoma. The former Dio and Whitesnake guitarist says there has been only one occasion when he genuinely feared the illness would kill him, but insists he refuses to live in fear despite the cancer's return.
- Vivian Campbell's stem cell transplant failed; his cancer has returned
- He was declared cancer-free as recently as June 2025
- Diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013; says he won't live in fear
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Def Leppard, the British rock band known for hits like "Pour Some Sugar on Me," has had Vivian Campbell as one of its guitarists since 1992. Before that, the Belfast-born musician played with Dio and Whitesnake, making him a well-known figure in hard rock circles. In 2013 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affects the lymphatic system, part of the body's immune defences.
Hodgkin lymphoma is generally considered one of the more treatable cancers, and Campbell has undergone various rounds of treatment over the years while continuing to tour and record with Def Leppard. Earlier this year he had a stem cell transplant using cells from a donor, a procedure doctors regard as one of the strongest options for pushing the disease into long-term remission, and by mid-2025 he was telling interviewers he was cancer-free.
Campbell's health has been closely watched by fans partly because Def Leppard remain an active touring act, and partly because he has been candid in the past about balancing serious illness with life on the road. His case is also a reminder that even after a transplant and a period of remission, cancers like Hodgkin lymphoma can sometimes return, which is why his condition continues to be of interest beyond just the band's fanbase.
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Originally published by Louder as ““I did a donor transplant. Unfortunately, it didn’t stick. So the cancer has returned.” Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell’s cancer has returned, but he’s refusing to live in fear”.