Michael Douglas Nears the End of Throat Cancer Treatment
Academy Award winner Michael Douglas has only one treatment left in his battle against throat cancer. Douglas, who has undergone a combination of chemotherapy and radiation for nearly eight weeks, is reportedly thrilled that the end of his cancer treatment regimen is near.
The 66 year old “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” actor went public with his diagnosis in August. Despite his stage 4 cancer and a grueling treatment program, Michael Douglas has been spotted walking his young daughter to school in New York City.
Douglas also attended the premiere of the sequel to “Wall Street” with his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. The actor even refused to use a feeding tube, even though throat cancer treatment makes eating and swallowing difficult. Douglas will need six weeks of recovery time after his chemotherapy and radiation treatments end.
The Oscar winner will need regular post-treatment check-ups to stay on top of the disease. Although his cancer is advanced, Douglas’s doctors are hopeful. The disease was found after the actor had been experiencing symptoms for months beforehand. He told ABC News that he hadn’t been surprised at the diagnosis, which came after doctors biopsied a walnut-sized tumor. Michael Douglas blames his throat cancer on smoking and drinking in his younger years.
His reaction to his disease is positive, however. Douglas says, “It’s a fight. I’ll beat this.”
Yet the actor is realistic as well. When asked by David Letterman if doctors had found the tumor in time, Douglas replied, “I sure as s**t hope so.” 
Medical science and drugs are modern day miracles.
Good luck to Mike and everyone else in treatment of any kind.
It’s a wonderful world when you can survive stage 4 cancer. You don’t get that with socialized medicine. I am so thankful for our great medical advancements we have here in the US today. My rottweiler has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Lymphoma and is currently going thru the Wisconsin Protocol; a human medical procedure that has made it possible for our 4 legged children to benefit from. It has been a very nerve-wracking 6 weeks since we learned of it. Zen is doing very well – if he wasn’t being treated, I would be cremating him right about now.
Michael, I wish you the very best – I have always enjoyed your movies – from the time I first came to the US…always a blockbuster –
v/r,
Joyce
I surely hope Michael beats this, I love them both, his wife also. I am a fan of his love him as an actor, including his wife, Catherine Zeta Jones, my heart is with you always, its just so sad to see him this way. Take care. love ya.
Bummed me out to hear of him having cancer. One of my all time fav actors. Always stood out with a great voice. I hope he pulls thru.
Gee Joyce, we have “socilized medicine” here in Australia and also the ability to successfully treat people with stage 4 cancers…..and a variety of other diseases. We also prefer to help fellow human beings eat a meal each day than give chemotherapy to our pets. But you know, our countries are very different and we all have varied priorities. Hope your dog’s doing well….meanwhile, I’m off to give a charity some money. Have a nice day.
Joyce Smith
You are everything that gives Americans a bad name. Let’s save extraordinary (and expensive) cancer treatment for the humans eh?
Did I just read that some crazy lady was comparing her dog’s cancer fight to that of Michael Douglas?
I am embarrassed to live here in America with these kind of fools.
And she should keep her opinions of socialized medicine to herself, I know plenty of people who have pulled thru cancer with socialized medicine.
I have never commented, but really something has to be done when someone is bringing their dog into a human beings fight for life.
Ouch Joyce, I lived under “socialized medicine” for many years growing up in Australia, we never wanted for anything – one consistent affordable high standard for everyone – now living here in the US it never ceases to amaze me how many middle-class people go bankrupt, financially and physically – in an attempt to get well.
Best to Michael – was always a fan!
Excuse me Ms Smith… your d-o-g…! YOUR DOG!!! Don’t read any more – you won’t be able to handle it Ms Smith – this is about human suffering!!
As the widow of a wonderful man who battled the same stage 4 tumor at the base of his tongue (SCCH&N) I know a little about what Mr. Douglas and his wife are probably going through.
Radiation has most likely caused 2&3rd degree burns inside his mouth & he may have burns to his face. He no longer has saliva. His mouth is painfully dry, burning and he constantly struggles to expell thick, sticky mucus, secretions and burned flesh from the inside of his mouth. Unable to swallow, even sipping liquids feel like a cup full of glass shards as it flows down his burned mouth & throat. With every sip he risks aspirating – which risks pneumonia. Its common in Head & Neck patients. He may be given a tracheostomy just to ensure his airway remains open.
His head will feel as if its going to blow off! Every bone in his body will ache, taking showers, brushing his teeth, even combing his hair will be hell, as will sleeping, if he gets much & with little sleep, pain meds, & just the pain of healing, he maybe grumpy.
I hope he has a tummy tube & is able to pour 4-6 cans of Ensure Plus into himself each day – that will allow him to keep some weight on — and with weight is strength and with strength he’ll be able to fight on. Mrs. Douglas may not have the physical pain, but she will suffer along with him.
I’ve shared the surface stuff with you and that’s quite enough. Believe me you don’t want to hear more.
Don’t count Mr. Douglas out!
The Chemo/radiation protocals from 10 years ago could extend Stage 4 Head & Neck cancer patients’ lives by as much as 16 months, today’s new Chemos add another 16 months!
As a survivor of throat cancer myself …10 years now . I had my treatment in the UK , wonderful …
I experienced all the symptoms described by Vivian of her late husband ..it always touches me when I hear of anyone going through any cancer treatment …I,m grateful for everyday ..Sadly my late husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the end of my first year of my treatment …He died 3 years ago I urge any man over 40 to be checked …my late husband had symptoms which he ignored , so his cancer was too advanced ..
Good wishes & love to Micheal & Catherine ..For me the most difficult part was telling my Son …now I spend many happy days with him & his wife & my gorgeous 2 year old granddaughter …
Maggie
Uhm, Joyce,
Your dog vs. Michael Douglas. ‘Socialized medicine, would have killed Mr. Douglas at state IV. Interesting.
As a friend of mine once wrote: ‘forever I walk amongst the ignorant’.
Joyce, Joyce, Joyce.
You obviously have no understanding of social medicine. FYI, social medicine would make it possible for many people to receive treatments to their illnesses without losing their homes in the deal. Currently that is the case…or their quality of lives without medication is often very bad, perhaps unbearable. Can you see how that might play out?
In addition, social medicine still would allow well-off people to purchase the utmost expensive treatments they’d want. No one would stop them.
I wonder if you might consider sharing your compassion for your dog with people as well…average people, that is. Both (people and pets) should have better chances in life, would you not agree? What is wrong with trying to make that possible? Or just screw the unprivileged millions?
You appear to be utterly selfish and incoherent in your thinking. Helping others to have a better life (the one we only got)…or even just have some better moments… nurtures the soul. Want to try how that feels like?
Does Catherine ZetaJones realize that she could be helpful and supportive to Micheal IF she stayed at his side during this, one of the most challenging experience, rather than being in Europe, being in the Bahama….and then, getting publicity for ‘flying in’ to ‘give support’. Perhaps he is to proud to ask, but, bet she would want him there, if she were in the same place.
I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the base of my tongue in Jan 2006. The radiation and chemo treatment was nothing compared to the side effects as described by Vivian. Each day during that period is a blur now other than the bright rays of hope and love from my family and close friends. I was so fortunate to have that support system which I am sure kept me fighting to survive. Almost 5 years later and so far, so good. The residual effects from the treatment still linger in the fact that I will more than likely always have a feeding tube to subsidize my limited oral diet. But I am alive and healthy!
Good wishes to Michael and his family! Never give up!
I was disappointed that the very first comment has to be a propaganda point against socialized medicine. I work with people who almost exclusively depend on medicaid. And many of the people I work with are poor through no fault of their own. They have been abused, traumatized, raped, beaten, tortured, by strangers, parents, step parents, and relatives often. How do you blame a person who grew up under a regime of torture from their own parents, or from a stranger for not being able to get it together enough to hold a job and pay for insurance, when they are fighting memories every waking moment about the abuse? It is terribly unfortunate that the anti entitlement crowd are often prominently made up of compassionless Christians, if there can be such a thing, usually the housewives of rich real estate brokers who sold mortgages designed to prey upon the poor, and made their profit mattress off of the misery of others. If Jesus came to serve, then a Christian who doesn’t love the poor is a PAGAN, a HYPOCRITE, an ELITIST, and an ATHEIST, no matter how many crosses they wear. Turn to FOX news and you will see them all; Sean Hannity- Let not your heart be troubled while you walk past the dying and the hungry, Glenn Beck who is trying to rewrite the history of Slavery as being caused by liberals- here drink the KoolAide, Then lets get to the owner of Fox News, and the Wall Street Journal Owner- Rupert Murdoch, born rich and promulgating trash journalism because it makes money like verbal Cocaine, and who essentially is committing child abuse by marrying a woman 38 years younger than him, and 2 years younger than his eldest child. And Bill O’Reilly, who seems to have resurrected shout down journalism that was created by Heinrich Himmler of the fascist German Third Reich. What a terrible disservice he has done to the future of conversation in which you don’t just argue points trying to tear each other apart, but collaborate in areas in which you share agreement and use that to forge a common ground for new growth. Thats been destroyed by Fox News in America. Thats the sickness behind the neoconservative movement espoused by Neil Cabuto, and Judge Napolitano, and that idiot Geraldo Rivera and the insane comedian Dennis Miller, Greta Van Sustern whose only job is to make sure that Americas attention is on crime and its lack of punnishment. the FOX NEWs fascist agenda, promulgated by Karle Rove and Roger Ailes, that is allied with the billions thrown at it by huge corporate interests that have so much to gain by keeping the poor, the sick, and the weak, helpless and without a voice which keeps profits at its highest and business unregulated, because if business has any regulations on it they have to have social responsibility and its cheaper to be irresponsible. and that means that today in market economics, at many levels, the market is corrupt and paid off. Because if the poor, the sick and the weak had a voice we would throw these scheming evil bastards into the gutter where they belong. Let them get a taste of what its like to lose a job and not have unemployment benefits or any safety net to keep from falling off the edge of the abyss. We have to stop adhering to the poisonous and sick spewing of hatred for the helpless that we as a society made helpless and now we dont have the courage to clean up what the mess we made. Its more convenient to blame the poor on laziness, which if there is laziness, it is the result of ignoring the suffering for generations until laziness is a result of the haves preferring to spit on those that need a hand up. If you ignore giving a hand up to people then they eventually are so bad off that they need a hand out. Thats the problem with the neoconservatives who dont have the moral strength to connect poverty with the irresponsibility of those who are in power. That they cant or wont do it.
Michael Douglas interestingly enough, made the greed of Wall Street famous. How they put the fix in and ripped off the small investor. 2/3 of all stock trades are high speed computer programs buying and selling billions of times per second. There is not a whiff of concern for the value of a company, or for long term investing. That makes the regular joe shmoe invester a victim to be preyed upon by the richest people in the world. We go down to the stock market and these wolves are waiting and laughing, jacking up the market back and forth, buying and selling by the microsecond and making money of what they call the inefficiencies of the market. Guess what? the innefficencies are the only potential profits for the small investor. The rich are taking everything including the crumbs off the plate. they donate a little back now and then to keep a revolution from occurring.You know the average MD makes 250,000-500,000 per year. But the average hospital makes billions. They need to be reigned in.
Look, I am like the next guy. I dont like my money being spent on the poor cause I dont feel I have enough, just like everyone else. but we all have to do our part and chip in. I am in favor of everyone and everything having to be licensed and held accountable not just to the market, but to non partisan review boards
Michael, you should be taking Wheatgrass Juice. This is a powerful anti-oxidant and cleans and purifies the system. After Chemo it gives you Power and energy to get your life back on even keel.
It’s expensive, but that’s no prob for You Michael,
I wish I could afford it for my parner, who is73, 70% disabled, and in continual pain with her problems (severe Scoliosis)
Wish you a quick and complete recovery,Michael!
Again on the subject of Michaels after treatment recovery. Cayenn pepper extract is a Cure for the soreness ans swallowing problems which the Chemo will have caused. Go for it Michael.
My thoughts go out to both Michael and the dog. It’s not one vs. the other. All life is valuable and when our country begins to realize that helping animals helps humans and vice versa, maybe we’ll start putting more of our money towards medical advances and just a little less to sports, entertainment and religion.
Good job Mr. Wall Street,glad your treatment is going well. Really like your movies alot, especially your last movie. I must say Micheal J. fOX acts alot like you, or you to look alike, in his earlier years; Perhaps thats how Micheal J. Fox got his start, resembling you Mr.Douglas. Hope all is well.
My husband has been diagnosed with the same cancer as Michael and ironically his name is also the same.I am glad to hear that Douglas has done so well. My husband starts his treatments on Nov 30th.I pray all goes well.
Michael, heed that advice, freshly made wheatgrass juice ( make it yourself, or Whole Foods, Jamba Juice, etc. has plenty) will save your life man, seriously. I’ve
had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for ten years, still Stage 3 but the ‘juice’ keeps me
going. I’m 67, about your age Michael, more and more of us are getting cancer earlier and earlier. We can all fight back with wheatgrass.
Get used to it slowly, and ounce or two in the morning a half hour before breakfast.
Then two more ounces before your evening meal. Call me anytime Michael, or anyone else who is serious about getting healed. 510 282-4999. I’m not selling anything except advice, for free.
All the best to everyone out there, stay healthy.
Barry