Vivian Campbell, guitarist for Def Leppard, has been fighting cancer for over ten years, so we know he’s a tough guy.
He missed the band’s first performance of 2025 because of the illness, which caused some people to take notice. However, we now know that he had a very significant reason for being absent.
Campbell posted on social media, “Thank you for all of your recent messages and support.” I was given a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis a number of years ago, as you are all aware. As part of my treatment plan, I recently got a bone marrow transplant, and I can safely state that thus far, the procedure has gone really well! For the next 100 days of primary rehabilitation, all I need to do is stay positive and focused.
According to LouderSound.com, Campbell has been fighting Hodgkin lymphoma since 2013.
According to reports, Campbell told the cancer Voices podcast in 2023, “I’m still dealing with the lymphoma.” It’s similar to the American term “Whac-a-Mole.” Something appears somewhere else when you beat it back. It hasn’t been too hard for me, but it has been a fairly constant battle. I handle it well. I’ve managed to lead my life.
During the majority of his journey, Campbell was able to use immunotherapy to treat the cancer, he told the program.
I started taking a medication called pembrolizumab in June 2015, he added. I recall that my doctors at the time wanted me to undergo radiation therapy and possibly chemotherapy as well. I simply reasoned that we should give immunotherapy a try. See if this works out. I was able to get on the trial as a result. I’m glad to report that it was successful for me.
Although it appears like Campbell will be sidelined for some time, a successful bone marrow transplant could help him overcome his cancer.