Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell recently revealed that his cancer has returned following a failed donor transplant. He shared details about his ongoing health journey.
Campbell discussed how being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2013 changed his perspective on life. He explained his determination to continue living fully despite the diagnosis.
“Unfortunately, I have met people in my life who, when they’ve gotten a cancer diagnosis, they’ve only focused on that,” Campbell said. “And they 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. 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.”
He recalled a difficult period in late 2023. At that time, he realized he needed to undergo a donor transplant.
“There’s only been one time that I felt it was gonna kill me,” Campbell continued. “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.”
Campbell explained that the transplant was unsuccessful. He will continue treatments and likely require another transplant in the future.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t stick,” Campbell added. “So the cancer has returned. And I’m continuing treatments to manage it. I’ll probably have to do another transplant within a few years with another donor to try and see if maybe that would cure me. But in the meantime, 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.”
He also shared how he has taken up rally driving. This fulfills a childhood dream alongside his music career.
“I’m also rally driving, ’cause I always wanted to do that,” Campbell said. “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.”
Finally, Campbell offered words of encouragement to others facing similar health challenges. He urged them to overcome fear and manage their diagnoses.
“So, yeah, life is for the living,” Campbell concluded. “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.”
Despite the setback, Campbell remains focused on living fully while continuing treatment. With Def Leppard, Last In Line, and his growing passion for rally driving, he has made it clear that cancer will not stop him from pursuing the things he loves.
