Understanding Lymphoma
- Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, 64, has revealed his cancer as “returned” after telling fans last year he was “completely in remission” from Hodgkin lymphoma, a disease he’s been battling since his diagnosis in 2013.
- Campbell’s treatment journey has included stem-cell therapy, a clinical trial, immunotherapy, chemotherapy treatments, and a bone marrow transplant. He didn’t specify how he’s managing cancer recurrence.
- Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system that affects infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. And there are more than 40 different types of lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma are the two most common types.
- When it comes to treating Hodgkin lymphoma, your doctor will tailor your treatment to the stage of your cancer, as well as other factors, such as how aggressive it is. Chemotherapy is generally part of the treatment at every stage. But in the early stages, radiation may be added, because stage I and II lymphomas tend to respond well to radiation.
- Treatment depends on the type of lymphoma you have and how advanced it is. Treatment options typically include chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant.
- Check out SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool “My Health Questions,” designed specifically for patients and caregivers.
After a bone marrow transplant left him “completely in remission” in mid-2025, his cancer has since returned, the 64-year-old shared in a recent radio interview with El Salvador’s YSKL-FM, according to Blabbermouth.
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Campbell explained on the radio show, as transcribed by Blabbermouth, “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. I did a donor transplant. Unfortunately, it didn’t stick. So the cancer has returned. And I’m continuing treatments to manage it.”
He noted that he may need another transplant with a different donor within the next few years, with hopes that the procedure could ultimately cure him.
It’s unclear how he’s managing his cancer, but he did say in an earlier interview with City of Hope that he was taking a drug called Keytruda — a type of immunotherapy that has shown incredible results as it works by helping the immune system to attack and destroy cancer.
RELATED: Keytruda Extends Life for Those Fighting Hodgkin Lymphoma
Keytruda is not for everyone, Dr. Anna Pavlick explains.
Campbell continued, “I’m certainly not slowing down. I’m doing as much with my life as possible, not just with Def Leppard and with Last in Line (an Irish hard rock and heavy metal supergroup band). I’m also rally driving, ’cause I always wanted to do that.
“So I’ve been doing that more and more, ’cause I love cars and I love driving. And as a child, I thought, ‘If I don’t play guitar for a living, I’m gonna be a race car driver.’ So, I’m very, very, very fortunate and blessed that I get to do both.”
The New Hampshire resident, who has two daughters with his ex-wife Julie Campbell, and later married Caitlin Phaneuf in 2014, added, “So, yeah, life is for the living. And I encourage everyone to look after 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 realize just how to manage it and how to deal with it as best as possible, and just don’t give in.”
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Campbell encourages others dealing with a health issue to “keep moving forward,” admitting that’s what helped him through the most arduous moments of his 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 explained further.
“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. But I also consider myself very fortunate because I caught my cancer early. So, it’s always been more about managing my cancer.”
Viv Campbell’s Journey
When Campbell, who has been playing with Def Leppard since 1992, first learned he had Hodgkin lymphoma, it followed months of suffering with a persistent cough. He ultimately went public with his diagnosis on social media in 2013.
He said in a statement shared on his band’s Facebook page that year, “I feel fortunate that my cancer sent me an alarm call in the form of ‘the cough that wouldn’t quit.’”
“The reason I’m sharing this with you is because, despite cancer and chemo, me and my new aerodynamic hairstyle (read: no hair) are going on tour this summer with the band and I don’t want anyone to be so shocked by my new look that they ask for a refund. Simple economics, really.”
Campbell underwent chemotherapy for six months. Although one year after his diagnosis he revealed he was in remission from the disease, his cancer returned in 2015. Prior to his relapse, he said in a follow-up Facebook post, “I’m trying not to get too excited about it as I heard that same phrase late last year only to be disappointed again a few months after when it returned. The plan is to do a stem cell transplant as soon as the tour is finished.”
Then in a September 2017 Instagram post, he explained, “Back at City Of Hope today for mo’ ‘mab and scans. Happy to report that all is progressing nicely on the health front.”
He said at the time, “I consider myself very, very fortunate that I’ve been able to find this treatment that I’ve responded to so well.” Keytruda (or pembrolizumab) was approved as a treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March 2017. However, Campbell participated in a clinical trial — so he actually began treatments in 2015. He was also receiving infusions about once a month.
“Being able to continue my life and continue my work I think has been a big part of being able to come through all of this. My work is what keeps me alive. My bandmates initially wanted me to stay home and convalesce,” Campbell said. “I’m stubborn and I’m Irish and I never wanted to do that. I’ve always refused to capitulate to the cancer. I just wanted to give cancer the big middle finger and go on.”
Meanwhile, on January 23, 2025, “a very happy” Campbell shared the following health update, “Thank you for all the recent messages and support. As you all may know, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma several years ago.
“I recently had a bone marrow transplant as part of my treatment plan, and it’s safe to say that thus far it’s been a very successful transplant! I just have to keep my head down and my spirits up for the next 100 days of primary recovery.”
Monitoring Hodgkin Lymphoma
It’s important to understand that once you’re done with treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma, it doesn’t mean that your cancer-related care is finished, according to The American Society of Clinical Oncology.
“Care for people diagnosed with lymphoma does not end when active treatment has finished,” says The American Society of Clinical Oncologists. “Your health care team will continue to check that the cancer has not come back, manage any side effects and late effects of treatment, and monitor your overall health. This is called follow-up care.”
Follow-up care generally means talking with your doctor, having a physical examination, getting blood tests, and sometimes scans.
“At most cancer centers, follow-up visits are scheduled every 3 to 4 months for the first 1 to 2 years after treatment is completed, which is when the risk of recurrence is highest,” the ASCO website states. “After that, the time between visits increases over time. Later visits may only be 2 to 3 times per year until 5 years have passed. After 4 to 5 years, patients should discuss options for long-term surveillance with the health care team.”
Long-term surveillance can include going to a survivorship clinic in a cancer center, receiving ongoing care from your cancer care team, or transferring to a long-term plan with a primary care provider.
Quality of life is also important to consider in follow-up care. According to ASCO, Hodgkin lymphoma survivors, in particular, are encouraged to look out for symptoms of depression and to talk with their doctor immediately if they notice any signs. Always remember, your emotional health is just as important as your physical health.
Overall, every person’s cancer journey looks different. Your long-term care can differ greatly from someone with the same disease, so it’s important to talk with your doctor about what your individual plan should look like.
What is Hodgkin Lymphoma?
Lymphomas are a type of blood cancer that begin in lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. They are separated into two categories: Hodgkin Lymphoma and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma being the more common type.
Hodgkin Lymphoma usually starts in a part of the lymph system called B cells, which make proteins called antibodies that help protect the body from germs. With those cells compromised, it’s more difficult to protect your body from germs, which may increase the risk of infections.
The disease is predominantly diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 40, and over 55. Symptoms include severe itching, swelling in lymph nodes in your neck, night sweats, fever, unexplained weight loss, daily fatigue, decreased tolerance to alcohol, or experiencing pain in lymph nodes after consuming alcohol.
Although lymphoma is relatively rare, advances in research and treatment mean many patients have a good chance of full recovery.
There are also more than 40 different types of lymphoma.
“Lymphoma is split up into a number of different categories,” Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, tells SurvivorNet.
“The first distinguishing breakpoint, if you will, is non-Hodgkin lymphoma versus Hodgkin lymphoma,” she adds, “and those sound like two different categories. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma comprises the majority of lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma is a single specific type of lymphoma.”
What Kind of Lymphoma Do You Have? Why Your Type Matters
Hodgkin lymphoma has giant cells called Reed-Sternberg cells. The presence of these cells, which can be seen under a microscope, will help your doctor determine which of the two lymphoma types you have.
Another difference is that non-Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to spread randomly and be found in different groups of lymph nodes in the body, while Hodgkin lymphoma is more likely to grow uniformly from one group of lymph nodes directly to another.
These two types of lymphoma behave, spread, and respond to treatment differently, so it’s important to know which type you have.
Your doctor will tailor your treatment to the stage of your cancer, as well as other factors, such as how aggressive it is. Chemotherapy is generally part of the treatment at every stage. But in the early stages, doctors may add radiation because stage I and II lymphomas tend to respond well to it.
Dr. Chong also told SurvivorNet, “The one thing that I always reassure people about when they are diagnosed with advanced stage lymphoma is that, unlike other cancers, where advanced stage is a death sentence, that’s certainly not the case for lymphoma.”
Spotting the Symptoms
The first lymphoma symptoms can be so subtle that you might not even notice them. You may not discover a problem until you visit your doctor for a check-up.
“People say, ‘But I feel completely fine,’ and that’s very normal,” Dr. Chong explains. If a lump is found, often “it’s only because either someone palpated a lymph node and felt some swelling in their neck or in their groin or under their arm.”
If you are at risk for this cancer because you had cancer or an organ transplant in the past, you have an autoimmune disease, or you have an infection such as HIV or Epstein-Barr, it may be worth watching out for symptoms like these:
- Swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, or groin
- Weight loss
- Tiredness
- Fevers
- Swollen belly
But keep in mind that these are more likely to be symptoms of something far less serious, such as a run-of-the-mill infection.
There are also a group of symptoms doctors refer to as “B symptoms.” Those include a fever, night sweats, or weight loss.
“If people are having any of these symptoms, it’s really important that they tell their physician early so that the proper testing can be done,” Dr. Chong says.
Finding Lymphoma With Imaging Tests
Sometimes the first sign of lymphoma appears not as a symptom, but as a clue on an imaging test that’s done for another reason. “I have patients who’ve gotten into car accidents and said, ‘I had a scan of my body and they saw these lymph nodes,’ and that’s how initially the lymphoma was found,” says Dr. Chong.
If your symptoms appear first, your doctor might send you for imaging. An X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan can identify the cause.
RELATED: Age, Race, and Exposures Might All Factor Into Lymphoma Risk
The only way to confirm whether you have lymphoma is with a biopsy. Your doctor will remove a piece of tissue from a lymph node, or the entire node. Then, a specially trained doctor called a pathologist examines the sample in a laboratory to see whether it contains lymphoma cells, and if so, which type of lymphoma they are.
A biopsy can either put your mind at ease by letting you know that you don’t have cancer, or give you a sense of direction by giving your doctor a launching-off point to plan your treatment. If you do have lymphoma, you can get at least some comfort from knowing that there are a number of good treatments to help manage it, even if you’re diagnosed at an advanced stage.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you are dealing with a lymphoma diagnosis, it’s important to ask your doctor a series of questions so you will have an idea of what your next steps will look like. To help you during this difficult time, SurvivorNet has some questions to kickstart your conversation with your physician.
- What type of lymphoma do I have?
- What does my pathology report say about my diagnosis?
- Should I get a second opinion before I explore possible treatment options?
- Based on my diagnosis, what do you anticipate my treatment path?
- What common side effects should I expect when I begin treatment?
- Will I be able to continue working and performing normal daily activities during treatment?
- Where can I get help working with the insurance company regarding treatment costs?
- Who do you recommend I get mental health help from during my treatment?
If you have questions you want answered, SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool “My Health Questions” is designed specifically for patients and caregivers.
WATCH: How One Cancer Survivor and Her Sister Used “My Health Questions” to Navigate Care
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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