Micheal Douglas Cancer is at Stage IV
Actor Michael Douglas revealed to talk-show host David Letterman that his throat cancer was at stage IV, the most advanced level. He described the tumor as "intense."
In a transcript provided by CBS, the talk show host asked Douglas whether stage IV cancer was a good diagnosis, to which the 65-year-old answered, "Um...no."
According to the National Cancer Institute, patients with this stage of the illness are typically administered radiation and chemotherapy, as well as undergoing surgery. The institution added that a stage IV translates in layman's terms as a cancer that has spread a way beyond its original state and is generally a challenge to cure.
The Wall Street star remarked that the disease was a result of drinking and smoking.
He added that his sore throat had been causing him discomfort for some time, but a series of tests and doctor’s visits at the beginning of the summer had failed to reveal anything substantial. A biopsy then revealed the cancer.
The actor conveyed his disappointment in some of the consultant’s failure to find anything sooner, saying, "I was on it early in the summer and started complaining about something, but they couldn't see it then."