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Michael Douglas says he is optimistic about his chances of recovery from an eight-week struggle he faces against throat cancer.
The actor appeared today on David Letterman's Late Show in the US, saying he had just finished his first week of radiation and chemotherapy. That drew a surprised reaction from Letterman.
"You've never looked better to me, and this proves that you're a tough guy, for God's sakes," the talk-show host said, drawing cheers from the studio audience, according to a CBS news release.
"Let's just say ... I'm pretty lit up right now," Douglas replied.
The disease was diagnosed three weeks ago, he said, although he had complained of a very sore throat earlier this year and had undergone testing that failed to find a cause.
Douglas, 65, who has two children with Catherine Zeta-Jones, said he enjoyed the summer travelling with his family before returning to the doctor.
A biopsy found he had late, stage-four cancer, "which is intense, and so they've had to go at it", he said.
However, Douglas said, the cancer remains above the neck and that means expectations are good, with an 80 per cent or better chance of recovery.
Asked by Letterman about his personal habits, he said he had smoked and consumed alcohol, adding: "This particular type of cancer is caused by alcohol and drinking."
According to a National Institutes of Health website, use of tobacco or alcohol is among the factors that put people at risk of developing throat cancer. Combining tobacco and drinking increases the risk.
Most throat cancer develops in people older than 50, with men more likely than women to get the disease, the NIH site says.
Douglas stars in the upcoming film ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’, a sequel to ‘Wall Street’ (1987), for which he won a best-actor Oscar.
