Vivian Campbell, guitarist for Def Leppard, said his cancer has returned after a donor transplant did not succeed.
Campbell was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2013. He underwent bone marrow surgery last year and was declared in remission afterward.
In a recent interview with YSKL FM, Campbell said he now needs more treatment.
“There’s only been one time that I felt [cancer] was going to kill me,” Campbell said. “In the winter of 2023, I got really scared about what was happening and the pace at which it was happening. I realized at that point 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 said he may need another transplant in a few years with a different donor. “But in the meantime, I’m not slowing down,” he said. “I’m doing as much with my life as possible – not just with Def Leppard and with Last In Line. I’m also rally driving – I always wanted to do that. I love cars and I love driving. As a child I thought, ‘If I don’t play guitar for a living, I’m going to be a race car driver.’ I feel very fortunate that I get to do both.”
Campbell offered advice to those who receive a cancer diagnosis. He said life changes after hearing the news but believes it is possible to stay positive.
“I’ve met people in my life who 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,” he said.
“I’ve always felt like I’m going to continue to live my life as much as possible – in fact, even more so. I also consider myself fortunate because I caught my cancer early; it’s always been more about managing my cancer.”
He added, “Life is for the living. I encourage everyone, if you’re 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’ve got to realize just how to manage it and how to deal with it as best as possible. And just don’t give in.”