For his work as a producer and actor, Michael Douglas has won numerous awards. The actor has achieved international fame, just like his father, Kirk Douglas. But when the star learned that he had a terminal illness, everything for him changed.
The BAFTA-winning actor made his screen debut in the latter half of the 1960s. His subsequent success with the movie version of the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was enormous. His marriage to Catherine Zeta-Jones, an actress, also attracted media notice. Douglas, though, battled a condition he initially thought was throat cancer away from his demanding work schedule and the opulent Hollywood lifestyle.
Despite the severity of his illness, the well-known individual admitted in a candid interview with People about his health issues that he never believed he would pass away.
I know it’s crazy, but I never considered passing away during the entire course of chemotherapy and radiation, he continued.
“My mother passed away at the age of 92,” he declared. My father just recently turned 102 years old. I’ve never given any attention to becoming older or dying.
Despite the severity of his illness, the well-known individual admitted in a candid interview with People about his health issues that he never believed he would pass away.
I know it’s crazy, but I never considered passing away during the entire course of chemotherapy and radiation, he continued.
“My mother passed away at the age of 92,” he declared. My father just recently turned 102 years old. I’ve never given any attention to becoming older or dying.
The actor continued by claiming that his specialist had advised him to confirm his diagnosis of throat cancer in a statement but added that if he had required surgery, his acting career might have come to an end. At the moment, he was conversing with Samuel L. Jackson, another actor.
The outcome won’t be what you want. The surgeon warned that Douglas might lose some of his jaw and mouth.
Douglas gave the Guardian a startling interview two years after his recovery that revealed fresh details about his battle with cancer, including the reason.
He claimed to the press that oral contact was the “cause” of tongue cancer because the sexually transmitted illness HPV (human papillomavirus) also causes cancer.
The celebrity was forthright and honest in the interview, but after his remarks sparked public outrage, he felt forced to explain what he meant.
Later, Douglas’ agent told CNN that the actor did not entirely attribute his cancer to HPV because he also smoked and drank, in addition to the virus. An official statement reads:
“Michael Douglas never claimed that taking in cunnilingus caused his illness. Despite experts in the study saying that some mouth cancers are suspected to be caused by oral sex, he did not explicitly claim that his own illness was brought on by oral sex.
Near the base of Douglas’ tongue, a “walnut-sized tumor” was discovered, and he was promptly given a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. His tough eight-week chemotherapy and radiation treatment cycle started after that.
What an unpleasant ride. According to him, that can truly tire you, as reported by the Guardian.
The amount of chemotherapy I was receiving also zapped everything beneficial. As a result, I experienced extreme weakness.
Only 50% of people with oral cancer survive five years after their diagnosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The main reason for this is a delay in diagnosis.
It’s vital to be aware of the warning signs and symptoms because tongue cancer can potentially affect both the base of the tongue and the oral tongue, or the section that protrudes from the mouth.
Here are a few examples of tongue cancer symptoms:
- a persistent red or white spot on the tongue
- prolonged mouth numbness, difficulty swallowing, a lump or sore place on the tongue, and chronic throat discomfort
- Unaccounted-for tongue bleeding (not from biting the tongue or another wound)
- The ears are in pain.
- As Douglas accurately points out, HPV can affect the mouth, throat, and possibly the tonsils and base of the tongue, which can lead to oropharyngeal cancers. Other risk factors, such as smoking or chewing tobacco, have a significant impact on how the disease develops, and it normally takes years for someone to develop cancer after contracting HPV.
The three major kinds of treatment for tongue cancer, either separately or in combination, are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. The extent of the cancer and whether it has spread determine the method of treatment. The wounded portion of the tongue must also be considered.
In order to be diagnosed with advanced cancer, a tumor must be larger than 4 cm in diameter, have metastasized to other organs or lymph nodes, or both. Douglas matched these criteria. The following are the most typical therapies at this stage:
Your throat and neck will be treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy.
Following surgery to remove some of the lymph nodes in your neck and a portion of your throat (including all or part of your tongue), you might receive radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy.
