Michael Douglas reveals spread of throat cancer

Sep 1, 2010, 16:40 GMT

Los Angeles - Actor Michael Douglas has revealed that his throat cancer has spread but doctors still believe he has an 80 per cent chance of recovery.

The Oscar-winning actor of the film Wall Street opened up for the first time about his disease on the David Letterman show Tuesday night, telling the talk show host that he has stage-four cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy five days a week every three weeks.

Douglas, 65, said that doctors failed to detect the growth in his throat when he went to them complaining of a sore throat early in the summer.

Doctors finally discovered the cancer in early August when it had already reached an advanced stage. 'It's a stage four [cancer], which is intense,' Douglas said in the dramatic interview. 'You want to be at stage one.'

'So I've got cancer. Found out about three weeks ago,' Douglas said. 'I just finished my first week of radiation and chemotherapy and it's about an eight week struggle. It knocks you out really hard ... I'm doing everything I can.'

Douglas attributed the cancer to his lifelong drinking and smoking habits.

In a separate interview, Douglas' wife Catherine Zeta Jones revealed she was furious with the doctors.

'It makes me furious they didn't detect it earlier,' Zeta-Jones told People magazine. 'He sought every option and nothing was found.'

She said it was also difficult for her to watch her husband of 10 years suffer through the chemotherapy treatments.

'I know maybe I should be stronger,' she said. 'But emotionally I just don't want to see that. The hardest part is seeing his fatigue, because Michael is never tired.'