Hollywood Icon Battled Cancer & Memory Loss Before Embracing Aging In His 70s

Sep 25, 2023 by apost team

Different Hollywood stars have battled cancer over the years, with some winning the battle and others giving it all they could to the end. Over the years, many have courageously shared their struggles with cancer and their experiences. 

Michael Douglas is among the Hollywood actors who have battled cancer while dealing with short-term memory loss and ageism. The actor shared his candid story about the cause of his diagnosis with The Guardian in an interview in June 2013. E! would later reveal his struggle with memory loss in 2018 and 2021.

Douglas is an award-winning actor and producer who has starred in impressive roles in films like "Wall Street," "Fatal Attraction," "The American President" and many more. The actor is also married to Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the duo has two children, Carys and Dylan. Douglas also has an elder son, Cameron, from his first marriage. 

In August 2010, Douglas was diagnosed with cancer after experiencing oral discomfort for years. While speaking with The Guardian, Douglas candidly revealed that his throat cancer was caused by oral sex, "HP (human papillomavirus)." 

Other doctors missed the tumor in his mouth, but a friend's doctor in Montreal found it with a tongue depressor. The actor explained, "there was a walnut-size tumor at the base of my tongue that no other doctor had seen." He also shared:

"I did worry if the stress caused by my son's incarceration didn't help trigger it. But yeah, it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer. And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it."

The terminal ailment was first assumed to be caused by smoking and drinking, which the actor shared he did not regret since his cancer was caused by something else. 

After this discovery, the "Traffic" actor was diagnosed with stage four cancer and commenced intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment for eight weeks. During the treatment, Douglas' palate got burnt; however, the actor refused to use a feeding tube, which made him lose 20kg after being placed on a liquids-only diet. He shared:

"That's a rough ride. That can really take it out of you. Plus the amount of chemo I was getting, it zaps all the good stuff too. It made me very weak."

Fortunately, the treatment worked, and the actor was cleared of cancer. He also revealed that he attended checkups every six months. The "Falling Down" actor also shared that "with this kind of cancer, 95% of the time it doesn't come back." Douglas talked about his recovery. He recalled:

"I was just happy to be alive. I was ecstatic. It feels like a rebirth after you go through cancer and you come out of it. You feel like you’re a child." He added: "You see priorities differently. You have a much deeper appreciation of marriage, of your children – you see everything a little bit clearer, and a little brighter.”

According to the publication, Mahesh Kumar, a consultant head and neck surgeon in London, shared that "HPV type 16 is the causative agent in oropharyngeal cancer." This was also why despite the advanced stage of Douglas' illness, he was given an 80% chance of survival. 

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Then, in March 2021, Douglas revealed how he was living with short-term memory loss. The actor opened up about his memory loss, sharing that his forgetfulness was not okay anymore. He revealed that before, he thought the condition was caused by smoking marijuana. However, after researching, he shared that inactivity during the pandemic had been problematic for him.

"The War of the Roses" actor shared while speaking to AARP Magazine that during the COVID-19 period, he was doing "more couch potato-ing" and was shocked at how much his stamina had reduced. He added:

"And my long-term memory is fine, but my short-term memory is not. I used to blame it on pot. But I’ve got some friends who’ve been smoking as long as I have and have fabulous memories, so I don’t think that’s the issue. I’m researching it."

As reported by People in 2018, Douglas also opened up about how he embraced aging during the AFI Fest premiere of "The Kominsky Method," a Netflix series on which he was an executive producer. He shared:

"I’m old enough to appreciate that this is a good time in one’s life, and not taking it for granted.” He added, "I’m grateful for a good marriage, good kids, no problem, my health." 

The actor also talked about how he had not seen himself as an aging man before he took on the project, as shown in "The Kominsky Method," which addressed aging and the human condition in great detail. He shared, however, that after studying the script, he found out that he could relate to it, thus embracing the notion of aging. 

Isn't it inspiring to see how Michael Douglas has triumphed over his ailments? What are your thoughts on his perspective on aging? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to other Michael Douglas fans.