Catherine Zeta-Jones had ‘livid’ response after Michael Douglas’ most cancers analysis from oral intercourse

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26 May 2026 08:29

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Warning: This text accommodates dialogue of most cancers which some readers might discover distressing.

07 Jan 2026

The Primary Intuition actor claimed he had contracted human papillomavirus (HPV), which the NHS explains will be linked to circumstances of mouth most cancers.

He turned a little bit of a poster boy for talking out about HPV. (Mike Coppola/Getty Photographs for TCM)

“With out eager to get too particular, this specific most cancers is attributable to HPV (human papillomavirus), which truly comes about from cunnilingus,” Douglas defined to The Guardian.

The now 81-year-old went via a ‘sh*t-pot of chemo and radiation’ which ‘made him very weak’ however finally saved his life.

However Zeta-Jones, who he married in 2000, was indignant that it had taken so lengthy for him to be identified.

Douglas had spent months looking for medical consideration for his signs, solely to be instructed nothing was fallacious till the tumour was ultimately discovered.

“It makes me livid they did not detect it earlier,” she instructed Folks journal on the time. “He sought each choice and nothing was discovered.”

The Chicago actor spoke of the ache of watching her husband struggling and going via chemotherapy and radiation.

“I do know perhaps I must be stronger, however emotionally I simply do not need to see that,” she added.

“The toughest half is seeing his fatigue, as a result of Michael is rarely drained.”

The pair have been married since 2000. (Arnold Jerocki/Getty Photographs)

In 2015, Douglas mentioned he regretted the embarrassment brought about to Zeta-Jones by the revelation performing oral intercourse might have brought about his most cancers.

“It was a kind of issues … and I so regretted any embarrassment that it brought about Catherine,” Douglas, 70, instructed Occasion journal, “and her household.”

Throughout an look at an Worldwide Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) occasion in New York in 2010, Douglas spoke about his journey to a analysis.

“It began out fairly innocently with a soreness of my gum behind my final molar,” Douglas mentioned. “And being fairly diligent about my well being, I went to see my basic practitioner, who thought I had an an infection and so was prescribing antibiotics, which, being a very good affected person, I took.

“After which I noticed an ear, nostril, and throat specialist, after which I noticed a periodontist.”

He defined he suspected it is likely to be one thing extra sinister after the ‘supposed an infection hadn’t gone away after a variety of months and a number of rounds of remedy’.

Douglas was later given the all clear from throat most cancers.

In case you’ve been affected by any of those points and need to communicate to somebody in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Most cancers Help Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days per week.

Signs of oropharyngeal most cancers

It is essential to know the signs. (Getty Inventory picture)

In accordance with Macmillan, the important thing warning indicators are:

a painless swelling or lump within the neck

a sore throat or tongue
earache
problem swallowing, or shifting your mouth and jaw

modifications in your voice
dangerous breath
unexplained weight reduction

unequal-looking tonsils

It’s important that you simply see a health care provider should you discover these signs persisting, or if they’re beginning to fear you.

HPV, alternatively, typically has no signs, though typically it could possibly trigger painless growths of lumps across the vagina, penis and anus, based on the NHS

Why are males extra prone to be identified with head and neck cancers than girls?

Males will also be contaminated with HPV. (Getty Inventory Picture)

Round two in three new head and neck most cancers circumstances within the UK are in males.

Karis Betts, a most cancers epidemiologist from Most cancers Analysis UK, beforehand instructed LADbible that is due to greater charges of smoking and ingesting in males.

However, whereas HPV is usually regarded as one thing that solely impacts girls, males will also be contaminated and in some circumstances it could possibly result in cancers of the mouth, throat, penis and anus.

Bett mentioned: “There are research that take a look at danger for various individuals. Straight girls who’ve intercourse with males have a better danger than girls who’ve intercourse completely with girls. And males who’ve intercourse with males have greater danger than straight males.

“The HPV vaccine can be accessible as much as age 40 for males who’ve intercourse with males as a result of the chance is barely greater.”

Learn how to keep away from HPV-related throat most cancers

HPV could cause mouth and throat cancers. (Getty Inventory Picture)

HPV spreads via shut skin-to-skin contact, together with vaginal, anal and oral intercourse, touching, and sharing intercourse toys. Whereas condoms might help, ‘they’re not 100% efficient’.

“The large sort of preventable measures towards HPV within the inhabitants are vaccination and cervical screening,” Betts mentioned.

“Vaccines sort of work greatest, and that is why they work greatest at that faculty age, as a result of it is earlier than individuals have had any publicity to the virus.

“If individuals are fearful about their most cancers danger, the very best issues that they’ll do, particularly for head and neck most cancers, is to not smoke, or give up smoking, and scale back their alcohol consumption.

“Issues like that can have a a lot greater profit in your most cancers danger than sort of worrying about an HPV an infection.”

She pressured that ‘the recommendation isn’t going to be cease having intercourse’, including: “Folks ought to dwell and revel in their lives, and intercourse is a part of that.”