Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell Shares Cancer Return After Transplant

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has shared that his cancer has returned following a donor stem cell transplant that ultimately did not stick. Campbell was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2013, which returned in 2015.

Speaking in a new interview with Francisco Sigüenza of El Salvador’s Radio YSKL FM, the guitarist opened up about the scariest moments of his health battle and his ongoing treatments. Campbell recalled that the winter of 2023 marked the only time he genuinely feared for his life due to the rapid progression of the illness.

Refusing to Slow Down

“There’s only been one time that I felt it was gonna kill me,” Campbell told the station. “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.… I did that in January of ’25.… Unfortunately, it didn’t stick. So the cancer has returned, and I’m continuing treatments to manage it.”

Campbell noted that he will likely require another transplant within a few years with a different donor in hopes of a cure. In the meantime, the guitarist is maintaining a packed schedule across multiple creative and personal outlets. He is keeping busy with Def Leppard, his side project Last in Line, and a passion for rally driving.

“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,” he said. “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. I’m also rally driving, ’cause I always wanted to do that.”

Life After Diagnosis

Reflecting on his experiences dealing with a cancer diagnosis, Campbell encouraged others facing similar challenges to push past the initial fear and maintain an active life. He contrasted his own approach with individuals who allow a diagnosis to dictate severe lifestyle restrictions.

“Life is for the living,” Campbell added. “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.”