Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, who underwent a bone marrow transplant 18 months ago, said his cancer has returned.
Campbell, 63, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Hodgkin lymphoma starts in germ-fighting white blood cells called B lymphocytes. In addition to bone marrow transplants, Hodgkin lymphoma can be treated with chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
In a radio interview with El Salvador’s YSKL-FM, Campbell, who has been with Def Leppard since 1992, said he learned that despite receiving an all-clear from doctors last year, he would need new treatment.
“There’s only been one time that I felt (cancer) was going to kill me,” he 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.
“I did that in January of ’25 -- I did a donor transplant. Unfortunately, it didn’t stick. So the cancer has returned. And I’m continuing treatments to manage it.”
Campbell told the radio station that he might have to undergo another transplant in a few years, but until then, he will remain active.
“I’m certainly not slowing down,” Campbell said. “I’m doing as much with my life as possible.”
Campbell, who turns 64 on Aug. 25, was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Before joining Def Leppard, Campbell played in the bands Whitesnake and Dio. He joined the band after the death of guitarist Steve Clark.
“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.
©2026 Cox Media Group
