What Michael Douglas said about throat cancer diagnosis after finding out it was from oral sex
While receiving a cancer diagnosis as a result of too much oral sex might seem like a double-edged sword, it proved to be a life-changing moment for Michael Douglas.
In 2010, the Hollywood star, best known for his roles in Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction, was diagnosed with throat cancer, which he revealed had been caused by a virus that is often transferred through sexual contact, like oral sex.
He isn't the only one, either, as a dad from the UK received a similar diagnosis.
How does oral sex lead to cancer?
The cancer had stemmed from Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is a common group of viruses that the NHS says can cause things from genital warts to cancer; however, most types don't cause a lot of serious problems.
As for why oral sex could cause this type of cancer, a doctor has said there are a few factors that may be at play.
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But Douglas says he can 'remember the look' on his doctor's face when a 'walnut-size tumour' was discovered at the base of his tongue.
What happened after Douglas was diagnosed?
After requesting a biopsy, Douglas was diagnosed with stage four cancer and underwent an eight-week course of extreme treatment, including radiation and chemotherapy.
He also refused to use a feeding tube and ended up losing 20kg while on a liquid-only diet, as he told The Guardian in 2013: "That's a rough ride. That can really take it out of you. Plus the amount of chemo I was getting, it zaps all the good stuff too. It made me very weak."
How did the cancer affect Douglas?
Luckily, the treatment worked and Douglas is now 15 years clear of cancer, with his diagnosis giving him a new outlook on life.
“I was just happy to be alive. I was ecstatic. It feels like a rebirth after you go through cancer and you come out of it. You feel like you’re a child." he said.
“You see priorities differently. You have a much deeper appreciation of marriage, of your children – you see everything a little bit clearer, and a little brighter.”
In 2013, Douglas later clarified that he had tongue cancer, as he told Samuel L. Jackson on This Morning that he was advised to 'just say it's throat cancer'.
"This was right before I had to go on a big tour for Wall Street, so we kind of said there's no way we can cancel the tour and say we don't feel well … You've got to tell them." he said. "I said you've just got to come out and just tell them I've got cancer and that's that."
However, he also expressed embarrassment that his revelation caused his wife of 25 years, actor Catherine Zeta-Jones.
Douglas told Event Magazine in 2015: “It was one of those things … and I so regretted any embarrassment that it caused Catherine and her family."
James Moorhouse