douglas

Actor Michael Douglas last night stunned a television audience with the announcement that he has “late stage IV throat cancer.” Actually, “throat cancer” isn’t a medical term. Several different kinds of cancer can involve different parts of the throat and mouth. Michael Douglas says he has a walnut-sized tumor at the base of his tongue. That’s an oropharyngeal cancer. Why do people get it? Well, as I have said on my other sites, half of us will get some kind of cancer. He just got this one. But the known risk factors are smoking and drinking – not so much separately but bad when both come together. However doctors are seeing a sudden general rise in oropharyngeal cases. Not all smoke and drink. Some victims do neither. Why?

Actor Michael Douglas last night stunned a television audience with the announcement that he has “late stage IV throat cancer.” Actually, “throat cancer” isn’t a medical term. Several different kinds of cancer can involve different parts of the throat and mouth. Michael Douglas says he has a walnut-sized tumor at the base of his tongue. That’s an oropharyngeal cancer. Why do people get it? Well, as I have said on my other sites, half of us will get some kind of cancer. He just got this one. But the known risk factors are smoking and drinking – not so much separately but bad when both come together. However doctors are seeing a sudden general rise in oropharyngeal cases. Not all smoke and drink. Some victims do neither. Why?