DEF LEPPARD's VIVIAN CAMPBELL Undergoes Back Surgery

Vivian Campbell says that he is recovering from a recent back surgery.

The DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE guitarist, who was diagnosed with with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2013, was asked about his health during an October 9 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation".

Campbell said: "My back is the issue at the moment. I did spine surgery last Wednesday, so I'm sitting here with an ice pack and a back brace on. So I'm a little concerned about that. It's gonna be difficult for me to do these next couple of weeks' worth of [DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE] shows. I'm gonna be moving very slowly. But I know that I can get on stage and I can play guitar and I can sing, so that's all I need to do. It'll be the travel in between that's gonna be extremely uncomfortable."

"As far as the cancer, I'm just doing these infusions," he continued. "I go back to City Of Hope tomorrow and get another infusion. And that'll keep me right for another three to four weeks. It's just maintenance. It's all good as far as I'm concerned."

Asked if his cancer is the type of thing that will ever fully go into remission or if it's something that he will have to manage the rest of his life, Campbell said: "Right now, it's just holding, and has been for four years. So I'm very fortunate that I caught my cancer early enough to where this is okay to keep it in this holding pattern. So until something else comes along. The technology is moving at a furious pace — there's so many new cancer treatments and alternative treatments coming to light year after year. The treatment that I'm on — in fact, I was part of a clinical trial of that — that's relatively new. So I'm very fortunate that way, that I caight it early and I happen to be a good candidate for this particular treatment and it's a good place holder. So it doesn't really have any impact on my life other than scheduling and [being] a little bit tired for a few days around the infusions. But right now it's kind of slid to second place on the complaints list because of the back surgery. So that's my more pressing concern."

For the past four years, Vivian has been part of a medical trial in Los Angeles, at City of Hope — one of the world's leading cancer research facilities — being treated with medication called pembrolizumab, which became FDA approved in early 2017.

Campbell, who receives pembrolizumab infusions roughly once a month, has also performed, toured and worked with legendary artists including THIN LIZZY, DIO, WHITESNAKE, RIVERDOGS and Lou Gramm.

Vivian and his DEF LEPPARD bandmates were finally inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in March — 14 years after the British rockers first became eligible.