Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has confirmed his cancer has returned and expects to need another donor bone marrow transplant. The musician, 63, who has been in the band since 1992, said he remains determined to keep living his life despite the setback.
Cancer returns after remission
Campbell was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013. He underwent a donor bone marrow transplant in January 2025 and took time out to recover before rejoining Def Leppard in May 2026. A month later, he revealed he was in remission. Now, he has confirmed the cancer is back and expects to need another transplant.
Speaking on El Salvador's Radio YSKL FM, Campbell said: 'Well, I think you have to keep moving forward. And I do think that that's what helped me, even when I was at a really low ebb with cancer treatment.'
Determined to keep working
Campbell said continuing to work gives him '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'. He added: 'I think that deflects, that takes away from focusing too much on cancer.'
He noted that he has met people who, after a cancer diagnosis, 'only focused on that' and thought they could not do anything. 'I've never felt that way. I've always felt like I'm gonna continue to live my life as much as possible,' he said.
Managing the disease
Campbell said he feels 'even more' inclined to make the most of every day after receiving his diagnosis, as it has 'amplified' his desire to 'tick all the boxes' and 'do the things' he wants to do. He added: 'But I also consider myself very fortunate because I caught my cancer early. So, it's always been more about managing my cancer.'
Confirming he was no longer cancer-free, Campbell admitted there has been only 'one time' when he felt his cancer was going to 'kill [him]'. He recalled: 'In the winter of 2023, I got really scared about what was happening and the pace at which it was happening.' This was when he realised he needed a donor transplant, which he said 'was my only hope to survive'.
Future transplant and living life fully
Campbell said the transplant of last year 'didn't stick', so he is continuing various treatments to manage his cancer for a second time. He said he will 'probably have to do another transplant within a few years with another donor', hoping that might 'cure' him. '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 [his side project] Last In Line,' he said.
Away from music, he has been rally driving, as it is something he has always wanted to do, having aspired to be either a guitarist or a race car driver as a child. 'So, I'm very, very, very fortunate and blessed that I get to do both,' he said.
Concluding that 'life is for the living', Campbell encouraged everyone else to prioritise 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 realise just how to manage it and how to deal with it as best as possible, and just don't give in,' he said.
