Instead of throat, I had tongue cancer: Michael Douglas

Image
Press Trust of India Los Angeles
Last Updated : Oct 12 2013 | 1:00 PM IST
Oscar-winner Michael Douglas has revealed that he lied about having throat cancer to cover up his tongue cancer diagnosis.
The 69-year-old star, who had spoken candidly in 2010 about his battle with cancer, recently disclosed on a show that he was suffering from tongue, not throat cancer, reported People magazine.
At the time, the 'Behind the Candelabra' star was preparing to go to Europe to promote the movie 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps'.
"This was right before I had a big tour for Wall Street, so we kind of said, 'There's no way we can cancel the tour and say we don't feel well,'" Douglas admitted.
"I said, 'You've just got to come out and just tell them I've got cancer and that's it.'" he added.
His doctor, who discovered a walnut-size tumour at the base of Douglas's tongue, advised him to fudge the truth a little.
"But the surgeon said, 'Let's just say it's throat cancer.' I said 'OK, you don't want me to say it's tongue cancer? 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 you jaw and your tongue and all of that stuff.' So I said, 'OK sure'", Douglas explained.
Rather than having to discuss possible facial disfigurement with reporters on the press tour, they decided to disguise the truth.
Douglas, who's currently separated from wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, triumphed over the disease after undergoing aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 12 2013 | 1:00 PM IST

Next Story