THE BEAST

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that his battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma has taken another difficult turn, telling El Salvador's Radio YSKL FM that the cancer has returned and that he is continuing treatment to manage the disease.

Campbell, 63, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013 and has spent more than a decade undergoing chemotherapy, immunotherapy, combination therapies and stem cell transplants. Despite the ongoing health challenges, the guitarist says he remains determined to live his life and continue doing the things that matter most to him.

Speaking to Francisco Sigüenza of Radio YSKL FM, Campbell reflected on how his cancer diagnosis changed his perspective and ultimately strengthened his determination to keep moving forward.

"I think you have to keep moving forward," Campbell said. "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."

Campbell explained that continuing to work has helped prevent his illness from becoming the sole focus of his life.

"I've always felt like I'm gonna continue to live my life as much as possible. In fact, even more so," he said. "After getting a cancer diagnosis, it amplifies that desire to tick all the boxes, to do the things you wanna do."

The guitarist also acknowledged that he has been fortunate to have caught his cancer relatively early, describing his experience primarily as one of managing the disease.

However, Campbell revealed that there was one period when he became genuinely concerned that the cancer could take his life.

"There's only been one time that I felt it was gonna kill me," he admitted. "In the winter of 2023, I got really scared about what was happening and the pace at which it was happening."

According to Campbell, doctors determined that a donor stem cell transplant was his only remaining chance of survival. He underwent the procedure in January 2025.

"I did a donor transplant. Unfortunately, it didn't stick. So the cancer has returned," Campbell revealed. "And I'm continuing treatments to manage it."

Campbell said he may ultimately need to undergo another transplant with another donor in the coming years in an effort to achieve a cure.

For now, however, he has no intention of putting his life on hold.

"I'm certainly not slowing down," Campbell said. "I'm doing as much with my life as possible, not just with DEF LEPPARD and with LAST IN LINE."

In addition to his musical commitments, Campbell has increasingly pursued another longtime passion: rally driving.

"I'm also rally driving, 'cause I always wanted to do that," he explained. "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."

Campbell concluded his discussion with a message encouraging people to take their health seriously and, for those facing a cancer diagnosis, to find a way to move beyond the initial fear.

"Life is for the living," he said. "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."

Campbell's latest revelation comes after he announced in June 2025 that he was "completely in remission" following a donor stem cell transplant.

At the time, Campbell told SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk that he had endured extensive treatment over the years, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and a stem cell transplant using his own cells, which ultimately failed to stop the cancer from returning.

"The cancer kept coming back, and then a couple of years ago, it really got bad," Campbell said during that interview. He explained that doctors subsequently recommended a donor stem cell transplant as his best chance for a cure.

The transplant forced Campbell to miss DEF LEPPARD's first concert of 2025. However, he later received encouraging news when a PET scan performed in April showed no evidence of the disease.

"I am a hundred percent clean, completely in remission for the first time in 12 or 13 years," Campbell said at the time. "And I am obviously overjoyed. You couldn't ask for more than that."

Unfortunately, that remission did not prove permanent.

Campbell first went public with his Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis in June 2013. Over the years, he has undergone three separate courses of chemotherapy as well as stem cell transplantation, only to see the disease return.

Despite the latest setback, Campbell continues to maintain an active schedule with both DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE while pursuing his passion for motorsports.

Before joining DEF LEPPARD in 1992, Campbell established himself as a respected guitarist through his work with DIO and WHITESNAKE. He has remained a key member of DEF LEPPARD for more than three decades.

DEF LEPPARD was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in March 2019, 14 years after becoming eligible.

The band's most recent studio album, Diamond Star Halos, was released in May 2022 through UMe.

Campbell's latest comments serve as another reminder that his story with cancer is far from over. But judging by his own words, neither is his story with music, cars, or life itself.