Def Leppard lead guitarist Vivian Campbell has confirmed that his Hodgkin’s lymphoma has returned after a previous donor transplant failed to eradicate the disease. The 63 year old musician, who has battled the condition since 2013, disclosed the news during an interview on El Salvador radio station Radio YSKL FM, outlining plans for ongoing treatments while maintaining his active touring schedule with both Def Leppard and his side project Last In Line.
Speaking candidly on air, Campbell explained that a stem cell donor transplant undertaken to arrest the accelerated progression of the illness had proven unsuccessful. Despite the medical setback, Campbell expressed determination to continue working, framing his musical commitments as a vital component of his personal strategy to manage the illness.
“Well, I think you have to keep moving forward,” Campbell stated during the broadcast.
“And I do think that that’s what helped me, even when I was at a really low ebb with cancer treatment. The fact that I could still continue to work, that gives me 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. I think that deflects, that takes away from focusing too much on cancer.”
Campbell’s health struggles began in June 2013 when he first publicly disclosed his diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer affecting the lymphatic system. Over the subsequent decade, his treatment regimen included cycles of chemotherapy, stem cell therapy, and immunotherapy using pembrolizumab. Although chemotherapy was integrated into his care in 2023 when immunotherapy efficacy waned, the pace of the disease forced a critical intervention late that year.
“There’s only been one time that I felt it was gonna kill me,” Campbell recounted. “In the winter of 2023, I got really scared about what was happening and the pace at which it was happening. And I realised 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.
Unfortunately, it didn’t stick. 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.”
Born in Northern Ireland in 1962, Campbell established his reputation in the heavy rock scene during the early 1980s with Sweet Savage and Dio, contributing signature guitar work to seminal records including Holy Diver and The Last in Line. Following a stint with Whitesnake in the late 1980s and work with Lou Gramm, Riverdogs, and Shadow King, Campbell joined Def Leppard in April 1992 following the death of founding guitarist Steve Clark. He made his official debut with the group at the historic Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium.
Throughout his 34 year tenure with Def Leppard, Campbell has recorded numerous studio albums, including Slang, Euphoria, X, and 2022’s Diamond Star Halos. Outside of Def Leppard, Campbell formed Last In Line alongside original Dio members Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice, releasing their third studio album, Jericho, in 2023. In recent years, Campbell has also pursued competitive motorsport, competing in the American Rally Association championship.
Campbell urged fellow patients to maintain perspective following a severe diagnosis, cautioning against allowing an illness to dictate daily life. “Fear is inevitable when you’re first told those words,” Campbell advised. “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.”
Def Leppard completed a Las Vegas residency earlier this year and maintain scheduled tour commitments across Mexico and South America later in 2026. Campbell confirmed he intends to fulfill all upcoming dates.
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