Michael Douglas comes clean: Says he suffered from tongue cancer not throat cancer

The star says he suffred fromt he extremely dangerous, tongue cancer, find out what the condition is all about.

By: Editorial Team | | Updated: October 13, 2013 6:18 pm

Michael Douglas, the star who is known for a number of great movies, has finally come clean about his cancer. In an interview, Douglas said that he had actually suffered from tongue cancer and not throat cancer, contrary to what he had earlier claimed. Douglas claimed he lied because tongue cancer has a worse prognosis than throat cancer. Also Read - Oral sex can increase risk of mouth and throat cancers: It is true?

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‘This was right before I had to go on a big tour for Wall Street,’ the actor said in a British TV interview that aired on Friday, referring to his promotion of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. ‘The surgeon said, ‘Let’s just say it’s throat cancer,” Douglas, 69, recalled. ‘I said, ‘OK, you don’t want to say it’s tongue cancer?’ I said, ‘Why’s that?’ ‘And he said, ‘Well, if you really want to know why, if we do have to have surgery, it’s not going to be pretty. You’ll lose part of your jaw and your tongue and all of that stuff.’ So I said, ‘OK, sure.” Also Read - How to use apple cider vinegar to treat warts

The star’s earlier claim that he was suffering from throat cancer that was caused due to HPV (a virus known to cause cervical cancer).. The two-time-Oscar winner revealed in 2010 that he was battling stage-four cancer and beat the disease with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

‘I have to check in regularly now it’s every six months but I’m more than two years clear,’ he said. ‘And with this kind of cancer, 95 per cent of the time it doesn’t come back.’ Research studies from Malmo University’s Faculty of Odontology and in The New England Journal of Medicine both suggest a correlation between oral sex and throat cancer. HPV infection is also the cause of 99 per cent of cases of cervical cancer, according to studies cited by Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). (Read: Michael Douglas blames HPV transmitted through oral sex for his throat cancer)

After all the hype had died down, the actor’s publicist said that his throat cancer was not due to oral sex. Later reports stated that the star had split with his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, who is known to be bipolar. (Read: Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones split: Was throat cancer and bipolar disorder to blame?)

What is tongue cancer?

Tongue cancer is the formation of a malignant tumour on any part of the tongue. This cancer is broadly divided into two types. One is the type of cancer that is present on the visible part of the tongue and is called oral cancer. The other type develops on the other parts of the tongue (either below, or on the part closest to the throat) and is called oropharangeal cancer. The most common type of oral cancer is SSCA (squamose cell carcinoma), and is usually caused due to smoking, chewing tobacco and alcohol consumption.

Symptoms: Some of the most common symptoms of this type of cancer are formation of longstanding ulcers in the mouth, unexplained bleeding on the tongue, constant sore throat and in some rare cases an inner ear infections.

Treatment: Common line of treatment is chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In some cases if the tumour is small enough surgery to remove the tumour coupled with radiotherapy suffices.

Prognosis: This cancer is a fairly fast spreading and difficult to treat. In severe cases it leads to removal of the tongue which has a number of grave side effects, like inability to talk, swallow and facial deformation.

In Michael Douglas’ case, his doctors believed that since this cancer was so hard to treat it was better that he kept the fact hidden from the media. It is truly miraculous to see the ailing star back on his feet again after a battle that was sure to take a toll on him.

Published : October 13, 2013 5:35 pm | Updated:October 13, 2013 6:18 pm

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