Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has confirmed that his cancer has returned, following a donor bone marrow transplant in January 2025. The 63-year-old musician, who first received a Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis in 2013, revealed the setback during an interview with El Salvador's Radio YSKL FM. Despite the news, Campbell issued a defiant message, declaring he is determined to keep living his life and urging other cancer patients to do the same.
Cancer Returns After Transplant
Campbell underwent a donor bone marrow transplant in January 2025 after his initial Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis in 2013. Hodgkin lymphoma, also known as cancer of the lymphatic system, is an uncommon cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes. The musician took time out to recover from his surgery before rejoining the Pour Some Sugar On Me hitmakers in May 2026. A month later, he revealed he was in remission. Now, he has confirmed the cancer is back and expects to need another transplant.
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 will “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,” he added.
Determined to Live Life Fully
Despite the setback, the rocker refuses to let his illness define him. 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.
Facing Fear and Encouraging Others
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.”
Away from music, he has been rally driving, as it is something he has 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,” he said. 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.”
