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Michael Douglas is doing promotion for Wall St. 2 despite facing a tough personal battle with throat cancer, with which he was diagnosed just three weeks ago. He appeared on Letterman last night, where he joked that he learned he had cancer on the same day he was booked for the show. He looks great but you can tell that he’s thinner and that his voice is a little hoarse and has changed. Douglas said that he’s done one week of radiation and chemotherapy for the tumor, which has not spread, and that he has stage four cancer, with an 80% chance of recovery or higher.
As for how he found out, he said he had a “sore throat early in the summer. I actually went through a litany of doctors and tests and they didn’t find anything. Then I had a great summer after some other adversities and all that. A wonderful summer with Catherine and the kids. We were in Spain. They really liked Americans in Europe this year, it’s nice…. Went to Russia, St. Petersburg. But I came back… got a biopsy, it’s a stage four, which is intense. They gotta go at it.
The things that change… is the chemotherapy in terms of being able to deal with the nausea. They knock you out pretty hard.”
Dave asked “Is stage four where you want to be?”
“No, you’d like to be down on stage one… The big thing you’re always worried about is spreading. I am head and neck. Nothing has gone down and the expectations are good. This is going to cut into the foreign promotional tour for Wall St. at least.”
As for why Douglas doesn’t sound like he has throat cancer or look sick, he joked that he was “pretty lit up right now” and added later “I’m on stage [performing].” He did acknowledge that he has a tough road ahead of him.
“This is the first week, and the chemo and the radiation continues to burn your mouth. It becomes more difficult to swallow, you can’t take solids.”
Dave asked about his chances of recovery, and Michael put it at 80% with some hospitals giving him better odds.
Dave then asked what he could do for Michael and he said “Give me a hug!”
The two guys embraced and it was really sweet.
Hang in there, Michael! We love to see you and to hear you’re ok, but you don’t have to go running around on a promotional tour. Focus on your recovery and we’ll be rooting for you. We still reserve the right to make fun of your hair though, ok?
Update: Michael is on the cover of this week’s People Magazine. People has an excerpt from their exclusive interview with Douglas and his wife, Catherine Zeta Jones. Jones says it’s the first time she’s ever really seen him get tired. Douglas calls his treatment “a fight” and adds that “it really knocks you out.”
Written by Celebitchy
Posted in Cancer, David Letterman, Illness, Michael Douglas
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39 Responses to “Michael Douglas: 1st week of radiation and chemo (update: People cover)”
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i like him
he looks like my father, he has a a house in Mallorca, and his movies are part of my life
so, i wish him the best
i´m sure he´ll disappear from the spotlight as soon as he starts looking like shit
my aunt just had chemo and her face looks so … awful, it´s really painful
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I love that he is being so positive and optimistic about this. Even though I don’t want to, I will go see WS2
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Wishing him good luck and good health.
Saw a clip and have to say, I thought he looked very old and shrunken.
He was swimming in that shirt collar and the long hair didn’t help.
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Oh man, cancer is the worst fate that can befall anyone… goes to show you, you can never be too rich and famous for a terrible disease… It does look like they had to put some makeup on him to put color back in his face… good luck to you MD!
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Cancer is just so evil. While I’m not much of a fan, I truly hope he recovers from this and feels better soon.
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Hope he’ll be okay, he’s had a rough year with his son going to prison (which should’ve happened imo) and his ex hammering him for money. I doubt being married to CZJ is easy, but I feel for her as no one wants this to happen to their partner. Get well soon MD!
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Wow!
I’m a doctor and I’ve seen many “ordinary” people have inspirational strength of character while fighting cancer…but I have to say, Michael Douglas was wonderfully gracious to speak so openly about what he’s facing. That shows great courage and humility. God bless him!
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May God wrap his arms around his family during this difficult time. I hope he is cancer free in the near future.
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80% are really good numbers to have.
Sending him lots of healing thoughts.
SammyHamr I agree. Cancer is evil. But sometimes the good guys do win and beat it (like me)
Everyone please remember September 10th they are having another Stand Up To Cancer again.
Please watch and if you can donate.
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Devastating. Its like being hit in the gut when you find out someone has cancer. My Aunt had it and my mom. Its beyond devastating. I hope and pray Micheal pulls through this.
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Wishes to him for a speedy recovery.
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wow…ol’ gordon gekko is a class act.
that’s old hollywood at its best. i hope he beats that monster.
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Yes me too – sending go away vibes to tumor.
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He’s one of my favorite actors and I wish him well.
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Hollywood royalty and a class act. Wishing only good thoughts for you, Mr. Douglas.
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just watched romancing the stone with my daughters
last week. they fell in love with him just like i did when i was a kid.
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I love Michael Douglas,I hope he gets over this as soon as possible.Am I crazy that I still find him hot?There should be a older guys that still got it section every Friday too!
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Stage IV. Not good. Means it has spread from original site possibly to mouth and lips. Wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. Hope he is going to be ok. Very sad for his young children if not.
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I don’t know why he’s doing promotion for his film, I wouldn’t bother..Maybe he wants to still do as much work as he can, keep some normalcy in his life which is understandable really. I hope he makes sure he gets plenty of rest too though-chemo and radiation is tough going..
Good luck Michael..best wishes for a speedy recovery..
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cancer is a real bitch and really needs a beatdown. it’s become so widespread. with no history of it anywhere in family, my stepdad had it, aunt has it, and friend’s 3 year old baby girl passed this summer from leukemia.
agree MD was very cool about being so open about it.
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I can’t believe he is on Letterman after having received his first round of Chemo. Amazing will power. My MIL just passed from lung cancer, and I think going through the chemo was rougher on her than the pain from the cancer. The very first round (and possibly the 2nd) wasn’t too bad for her, other than making her nauseous and weak. But after that, it literally ravaged her and she looked like death walking for the remainder of her life. I guess I am glad Michael Douglas can get out and do what he needs to do for this movie now, while he is still able…while part of me wishes he was just at home with his family.
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Wow, this man is so brave. Big Kudos to him for even going out after the first week of chemo. I wish him the best.
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I looked it up and stage IV is the worst stage of throat cancer and means the cancer has spread to tissues areound the mouth and lips and possibly 1 or both lymph nodes. Also, the combination of chemo and radiation (that he is having) is a treatment used for the most advanced tumors, and often for patients whose only other option is removing the voice box completely. yikes!
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All the best to you Mr Douglas!! wishing you a speedy recovery
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I think it’s kind of cool that he’s being so open about the cancer and the treatments. Not that it should be required of him, but I think it’s cool that’s he doing it and hopefully increasing awareness. I hope he beats it. He’s a good actor too.
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what scares me is that he had lots of tests done and no cancer was detected?? He had stage 4 cancer growing and they didn’t find it sooner?
why not? is this common?
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Wow, he’s amazing. Sending lots of positive thoughts and good wishes to one of my favorite actors.
He is sure looking a lot like his dad in those photos.
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I really, really hope he recovers. And wow – he’s looks just like his dad here. Crazy.
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I’ve never been a fan but I hope he recovers he is the only white man my mother thinks is sexy(LOL)
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A few hundred years from now we’ll look back on chemotherapy as about as laughable as leech-otherapy. Probably does more harm than good but there you go.
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I wish him and his family the best. God Bless. Gotta be tough for all of them but his father is probably heartsick. Seeing his son fighting this.
As respects chemo & nausea, Medicare doesn’t cover the nausea meds that help the most. If you don’t have extra insurance to cover it or money, you have to suffer the nausea. I think Medicare may cover something for nausea but it does not help much. Many of my family members have experienced this.
Cue the revolution for the poor folks.
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I wish him and his family the best, hope he is able to recover.
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ahh..he handled that beautifully. Couldn’t have been easy.
btw, my dad had two kinds of cancer and smoked for 30+ years…..still alive and kicking.
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God bless Michael and speed his recovery.
Often, people don’t start feeling bad after the first chemo or two.
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HE needs to learn more about his diagnosis. Stage IV means cancer that has spread. And cancer doesn’t go down in stage, it either goes away or it recurs. Hope his doctor is smarter about his diagnosis than he is.
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“They really liked Americans in Europe this year, it’s nice…”
that’s pretty funny, and the bit about his family in bermuda for the hurricane, too. how awesome that he still has his sense of humor. and i like that he is so open about it – very classy. you know, he is one of those actors i just take for granted, that he will always do a great job in every movie, because he does. he really is a chameleon. wishing him nothing but the best.
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I love Michael Douglas…I always have. He’s a wonderful actor and a man who seems to have gotten his act together in time to be a loving husband and devoted Dad. He seems so down to earth and tells the best stories. I wish him strength in this, the fight of his life, and I hope and pray he wins the battle.
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I loved it when Letterman said, “I feel like I wanna do something for ya, can I do something for ya?” And Michael said “You can give me a hug” and they hugged. What a great thing to say to someone when you really don’t know what to say or do. I’ll remember that.
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Why didnt I think about this? I hear exactly what youre saying and Im so happy that I came across your blog. You really know what youre talking about, and you made me feel like I should learn more about this. Thanks for this; Im officially a huge fan of your blog
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