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TagsN.J. native beats throat cancer
BY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
The new year has gotten off to a great start for actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. The actress broke down in tears after she learned that husband and New Jersey native Michael Douglas has beaten throat cancer.
"I think the odds are with the tumor gone and what I know about this particular type of cancer that I've got it beat," he told host Matt Lauer of "Today" in an interview on Tuesday.
"I have to check out on a monthly basis now to maintain. I guess there's not a total euphoria. I'll probably take a couple of months of getting checked out. " Douglas said.
The radiation treatment has shut down his salivary ducts for at least a year or two, and a dry mouth affects his sleep, he said. He lost 32 pounds during the ordeal, but he has regained 12.
Some media has published photographs of an emaciated Douglas as he was undergoing treatment, and while Douglas said he didn't follow the coverage, friends apparently did and called him to see how he was doing, he said.
As cancer put his life in jeopardy, he says he developed a new regard for family and friends.
"All of a sudden the affection from my family, from my friends, and from my fans hit me at a much deeper level than I would have ever imagined before," Douglas said. "And it gave me a really new appreciation of just how valuable, how precious good friends are and family.
CNN reports Douglas even took his three young children to a couple of his radiation treatments.
"They came into the room and they saw all the Star Wars treatment going around, he said. "At that age it was good for them. I mean, they thought it was cool, all this space age stuff. So it made up for all those days when dad was lying on the couch and couldn't get up."
Douglas was raised in his early years in New Brunswick, New Jersey. According to squidoo.com, he and Jones are owners of a New Jersey home in Ridgewood today.
According to metrolic.com, Michael Douglas remains under medical supervision for the disease to be controlled and discovered soon if something wrong happens. He said he will make some lifestyle changes including staying away from alcohol and tobacco, two substances which may have caused the cancer growth.
He told the Daily Mail he would now be 'eating much more of an organic diet'.
Now Douglas is actually ready to get back to work. He is now preparing for a new role, in a movie about Liberace in which he will co-star with actor Matt Damon.
The complete interview will be shown on Sunday's "Dateline NBC."
