Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell in remission after lengthy battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma
The 62-year-old rocker was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, and after taking some time out to recover from treatment, he returned to the stage with the Pour Some Sugar On Me band in May.
After undergoing some "hardcore chemotherapy" and a successful bone marrow transplant, Campbell has revealed his PET scan in April showed no signs of cancer.
Speaking on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, he said: "I've been very lucky, actually. I got an early diagnosis for Hodgkin's lymphoma 13 years ago, 12 years ago, something like that. [I went] through the mill with all sorts of chemo and immunotherapy and combination therapies, and 10 years ago I did an autologous stem cell transplant, which means using my own stem cells. That didn't work. The cancer kept coming back, and then a couple of years ago, it really got bad. So it was the first time in having to deal with it that I was seriously concerned about it. And the doctors told me really my only chance for of cure was to do a donor transplant. And that's exactly what I did. Starting last summer during our tour, I started doing more chemo in preparation for it. And then right after the tour, they started giving me very hardcore chemo leading up to the transplant. I was supposed to start after Thanksgiving, and I lost my donor 10 days beforehand. So that was a kick in the nuts. But I was very fortunate that they found me another one in December. And on New Year's Eve, I went into hospital. I was in for about three and a half weeks, and I did what has turned out to be a really, really successful transplant. So I did a PET scan in the middle of April and I'm a hundred percent clean, completely in remission for the first time in 12 or 13 years. And I am obviously overjoyed. You couldn't ask for more than that."
The guitarist hopes to buy his donor a beer one day to thank him for saving his life.
He said: "A young man, actually. I don't get to know who he is for a couple of years, but a 21-year-old man. And they always prefer a youthful donor. Obviously, I'm gonna buy him a beer — or two or three."
Campbell underwent immunotherapy treatment and was part of a clinical trial for the medication pembrolizumab amid his battle with the disease.
Speaking on the Lymphoma Voices podcast in 2023, he said: "I'm still dealing with the lymphoma.
"It's sort of like – it's an American expression – Whac-a-Mole. You beat something back and then it pops up somewhere else. But it's been a pretty consistent battle, but it hasn't been too difficult for me. I deal with it fine. I've been able to live my life.
"For the bulk of those 10 years, I actually was doing immunotherapy. Starting in June of 2015, I started taking a drug called pembrolizumab. I remember at the time my doctors wanted me to do radiation and maybe a combination of radiation and chemo. And I just thought, 'Well, let's just try this immunotherapy thing. Let's see if this works.' So I managed to get on the trial. I'm happy to say that it worked well for me."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
6 hours ago
- West Australian
Sesame Street: Why ‘engaging' kids TV shows are more vital than ever
On Monday the 55th season of Sesame Street will hit Aussie TV screens. According to Sesame Workshop, the global non-profit organisation behind the award-winning series, the latest season will focus on emotional wellbeing, 'helping children learn accessible strategies to comprehend and cope with big feelings through fun, light-hearted, relatable, and engaging stories.' Clinical child psychologist and founder of WA start-up Tedology, Dr Louise Mansell, thinks this emphasis is more vital than ever. 'Shows like Sesame Street are so important for children,' Dr Mansell said. 'But I'm particularly struck by how important they are for Australia, because there are a limited number of shows that support emotional development for children. 'We've got Bluey now, but Sesame Street does it in a much more direct way — they will openly talk about emotions and cover topics that might otherwise be difficult to talk about.' You could argue this kind of quiet reassurance is more important than ever — especially for our little ones. But earlier this year Sesame Street's future seemed uncertain after its broadcast partner, HBO, did not renew its deal with the show. Netflix came to the rescue, ensuring the 50-plus year-old series will continue to be available not only to American children via the publicly-funded PBS Network, but also internationally via its enormous streaming service — episodes will continue to air on ABC in Australia. 'ABC and Sesame Workshop enjoy a longstanding partnership spanning 50 years and we look forward to continuing our collaboration,' a spokesperson for the network told The Sunday Times. 'Whether it's taking a volcano breath when angry, learning to give yourself a hug when frustrated, or wiggling it out when disappointed, we're empowering children with the strategies to help build resiliency and the foundational skills for emotional well-being,' he said. Helping children to navigate all this are the show's stable of much-loved characters. This season will see Elmo learn how to do 'volcano breaths' after he feels angry; puppet Abby learns what it means to be kind to yourself to overcome frustration, and Cookie Monster admits to feeling nervous about going to a new cooking school, enlisting his friends to help him prepare. 'That 'don't worry be happy' kind of motto is in so many shows, but you won't find that in Sesame Street,' Dr Mansell said. 'As a child psychologist, you are often trying to help children who don't believe that some emotions are OK... 'If they can see Big Bird have them, and Elmo is often saying how he feels, it just normalises the whole process and makes them realise that emotions happen on a daily basis in response to something else, and that's OK.' Helping the puppets to get the message across this season are special guests including actress and singer Renee Rapp, actor Michael B. Jordan, pop star SZA, and Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness. 'We are in this society that is really focused on children becoming addicted to screens,' Dr Mansell said. 'What they are really becoming addicted to is the dopamine and the high arousal they get from shows and screen time. It's quick, it's fast, and I hear that when I listen to my boys watching YouTube. 'Sesame Street doesn't do that: it's slow, it's calming, and there is predictability about it; you always know what is going to happen on the show at the beginning and end. 'That's so important for children, and for adults.'
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Perth Now
Why ‘engaging' shows like Sesame Street more vital than ever
On Monday the 55th season of Sesame Street will hit Aussie TV screens. According to Sesame Workshop, the global non-profit organisation behind the award-winning series, the latest season will focus on emotional wellbeing, 'helping children learn accessible strategies to comprehend and cope with big feelings through fun, light-hearted, relatable, and engaging stories.' Clinical child psychologist and founder of WA start-up Tedology, Dr Louise Mansell, thinks this emphasis is more vital than ever. 'Shows like Sesame Street are so important for children,' Dr Mansell said. 'But I'm particularly struck by how important they are for Australia, because there are a limited number of shows that support emotional development for children. 'We've got Bluey now, but Sesame Street does it in a much more direct way — they will openly talk about emotions and cover topics that might otherwise be difficult to talk about.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. You could argue this kind of quiet reassurance is more important than ever — especially for our little ones. But earlier this year Sesame Street's future seemed uncertain after its broadcast partner, HBO, did not renew its deal with the show. Netflix came to the rescue, ensuring the 50-plus year-old series will continue to be available not only to American children via the publicly-funded PBS Network, but also internationally via its enormous streaming service — episodes will continue to air on ABC in Australia. 'ABC and Sesame Workshop enjoy a longstanding partnership spanning 50 years and we look forward to continuing our collaboration,' a spokesperson for the network told The Sunday Times. WA-based Clinical Psychologist Dr Louise Mansell has created an interactive teddy bear for kids through her company Tedology. Credit: Jackson Flindell / Jackson Flindell / The West Aust 'Whether it's taking a volcano breath when angry, learning to give yourself a hug when frustrated, or wiggling it out when disappointed, we're empowering children with the strategies to help build resiliency and the foundational skills for emotional well-being,' he said. Helping children to navigate all this are the show's stable of much-loved characters. This season will see Elmo learn how to do 'volcano breaths' after he feels angry; puppet Abby learns what it means to be kind to yourself to overcome frustration, and Cookie Monster admits to feeling nervous about going to a new cooking school, enlisting his friends to help him prepare. 'That 'don't worry be happy' kind of motto is in so many shows, but you won't find that in Sesame Street,' Dr Mansell said. 'As a child psychologist, you are often trying to help children who don't believe that some emotions are OK... 'If they can see Big Bird have them, and Elmo is often saying how he feels, it just normalises the whole process and makes them realise that emotions happen on a daily basis in response to something else, and that's OK.' Sesame Street runs on ABC Kids. Credit: Supplied Helping the puppets to get the message across this season are special guests including actress and singer Renee Rapp, actor Michael B. Jordan, pop star SZA, and Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness. 'We are in this society that is really focused on children becoming addicted to screens,' Dr Mansell said. 'What they are really becoming addicted to is the dopamine and the high arousal they get from shows and screen time. It's quick, it's fast, and I hear that when I listen to my boys watching YouTube. 'Sesame Street doesn't do that: it's slow, it's calming, and there is predictability about it; you always know what is going to happen on the show at the beginning and end. 'That's so important for children, and for adults.'
7NEWS
18 hours ago
- 7NEWS
From Summer Bay to Hollywood heartthrob: The meteoric rise of Julian McMahon's career as he tragically passes away at 56
Julian McMahon was a household name in America the time of his death, having had a career trajectory that saw him on some of the Hollywood's biggest shows less than a decade after leaving Sydney for La La Land. Despite a childhood as a political blueblood, the actor never followed his former Prime Minister father, William McMahon, into a life of politics or being a Liberal Party powerbroker. Instead, he found a home in Hollywood, where he was to become one of Australia's biggest exports on popular American TV shows, like Profiler, Charmed, and Nip/Tuck throughout the 2000s. Born in Sydney, McMahon always showed an interest in acting. Despite studying law at the University of Sydney, McMahon's natural good looks saw him booked on a number of modelling gigs. He became a working model across fashion capitals London, Paris and Milan until his father's death in 1988, when he relocated back to Australia from the hub of the European modelling shoots. McMahon wandered into acting in the late 1980s, first appearing on the Seven Network soap, The Power, The Passion, as Kane Edmonds, in 1989. He next moved to Home and Away, starring as Ben Lucini from 1990 to 1991. Following his stint in Summer Bay, McMahon instantly became a household name. 'He worked at it (his acting),' 7NEWS Entertainment Editor, Peter Ford, told Sunrise on Saturday. 'He went and took lessons. He wanted to be good, and he became really good.' McMahon famously married Dannii Minogue in 1994, after the pair met on the Home and Away set. They split just a year later, in one of Australia's most ill-fated celebrity romances. 'That was doomed to failure, unfortunately, because of Lady Sonia McMahon, his mum, did not approve at all of that marriage,' Ford said of the young couple. McMahon first took his acting stateside in 1993, appearing on the NBC soap, Another World, in nothing but a speedo. However, it wasn't until he landed in Hollywood full-time that he became a big name. McMahon first appeared in the hit NBC series Profiler, starring as Detective John Grant in the crime drama, from 1996 to 2000. He then got a big break as Cole Turner in the Aaron Spelling hit, Charmed, from 2000 to 2003. The actor then got another big break starring on Nip/Tuck as troubled Dr. Christian Troy, from 2003 to 2010. The role of Christian is considered McMahon's most widely successful job on American TV. '(After the) daytime soap (Another World), ... He then began quite a good run of hit shows with Charmed and with Nip/Tuck. He really kept working constantly,' Ford said. 'He never became what you would call an A-list star. But it was a good, solid career. 'He made a lot of money.' McMahon's shows Charmed and Nip/Tuck both won Emmy Awards. He was also nominated for a Best Actor gong at the Golden Globes for his portrayal of morally complex Christian Troy in Nip/Tuck. The actor ventured into films around this time, starring in Chasing Sleep in 2000, Premonition, alongside Sandra Bullock, in 2007, Red, alongside Bruce Willis in 2010, and Faces in the Crowd opposite Milla Jovovich in 2011. He also played Victor Von Doom in the two films of the Fantastic Four franchise. McMahon headed back Down Under for Swinging Safari in 2018. He starred opposite big Australian names like former sister-in-law Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, and Asher Keddie for the flick. The actor then travelled back stateside to appear in CBS crime drama FBI: Most Wanted. He also made appearances in the other related series FBI and spin-off, FBI International. He exited the show in 2022. 'It was a great career,' Ford said. More recently, McMahon had been spending time with wife. 'It doesn't seem he's been out and about much,' Ford said. 'There's been no talk of him doing any more work. 'So, I think as Kelly has said, he wanted to (deal with his illness) privately.'
