EFN

Michael Douglas announced that he is now free from cancer, following a six-month battle with stage 4 throat cancer. Douglas underwent radiation and chemotherapy last year. He reviled the good news in an interview with US talk show Today, saying: “I feel good, relieved.

Upon learning a few days ago that his tumor was gone, Douglas celebrated with his wife, actress Catherine Zeta Jones, and their two children Dillon, 10, and Carys, 7.

Catherine Zeta-Jones broke down in tears after learning that her husband had beaten throat cancer.

Douglas said the grueling radiation treatment has shut down his salivary ducts for at least a year or two, and a dry mouth affects his sleep. He lost 32 pounds during the ordeal, but he has regained 12 by “eating like a pig,” he said with a laugh. He said he also working out to get some of his strength and weight back. Douglas said he plans to eat a more organic diet and spend some time relaxing.

Douglas, 66, will have to be monitored closely in coming months to ensure that the tumor does not return. Three years is considered the benchmark for deeming such a patient truly cancer-free.

Though Douglas pointed out that his parents have set a good precedent for ageing — his mother (actress Diana Dill) is in her late 80s, while his father (iconic actor Kirk Douglas) is 94 — he noted that his cancer treatment has nonetheless changed his perceptions.

Throat cancer can be a devastating illness — hard to diagnose, hard to treat and particularly difficult on the body, with the possibility of losing the voice and even the ability to eat, however doctors had said all along that Douglas seemed to have a positive prognosis.