{"id":283,"date":"2026-06-05T14:24:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/?p=283"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:24:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:24:57","slug":"signs-of-oral-sex-related-throat-cancer-as-michael-douglas-revealed-first-symptom-he-noticed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/?p=283","title":{"rendered":"Signs of oral sex-related throat cancer as Michael Douglas revealed first symptom he noticed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three years after his cancer diagnosis in 2010, actor\u00a0Michael Douglas<\/a>\u00a0revealed that the cause of it was oral sex. He has since spent the last decade campaigning about the signs and symptoms of HPV.<\/p>\n

The Kominsky Method star was shocked when doctors investigating his persistent sore throat discovered a \u201cwalnut-size tumor\u201d at the base of his tongue.<\/p>\n

Describing a doctor\u2019s appointment, Douglas, 81, said, \u201cI will always remember the look on my friend\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018We need a biopsy.\u2019 There was a walnut-size\u00a0tumor<\/a>\u00a0at the base of my tongue that no other doctor had seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The actor was quickly diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma. Thankfully, after months of aggressive radiation and chemotherapy, he is now cancer-free.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Throat<\/picture><\/div>\n
\n
Throat cancer is on the rise among men over 60. Credit: SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI\/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY \/ Getty<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Douglas believes a certain sex act caused his cancer<\/h2>\n

Just a few years after his diagnosis, Douglas sparked conversation when he revealed in an interview with\u00a0The Guardian<\/a><\/u>\u00a0that his cancer was directly linked to oral sex.<\/p>\n

He claimed that he contracted HPV through cunnilingus. The actor later denied making the comment, though the publication stood by its report and released the audio.<\/p>\n

At an awards event later, Douglas reflected: \u201cI never expected to become a poster boy for head and neck cancer, but if answering a few questions opens up discussion and raises awareness, then I\u2019ll stand by that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The\u00a0Oral Cancer Foundation<\/a><\/u>\u00a0estimates that nearly 48,250 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year. By speaking candidly about his own journey, Douglas hopes more people will recognize the warning signs early \u2014 and seek prompt, thorough medical evaluation.<\/p>\n

Human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted viral infection in the United States, has been proven to cause certain oral cancers and cervical cancer.<\/p>\n

Although early detection and vaccination against HPV have led to a drop in cervical cancer in US women, HPV-associated cancer of the tonsils, throat, or back of the tongue has risen significantly in men over the last three decades.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Michael<\/picture><\/div>\n
\n
Michael Douglas and his children Carys Zeta Douglas and Dylan Michael Douglas. Credit: Michael Loccisano \/ Getty<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What are the first symptoms of throat cancer?<\/h2>\n

Here is a list of the most common signs to look out for and seek medical attention for:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A thickening in the cheek<\/li>\n
  2. A lump on the lip, mouth, neck or throat<\/li>\n
  3. A mouth or lip sore that isn’t healing<\/li>\n
  4. A red or white patch found on the gums, tongue, tonsil or mouth lining<\/li>\n
  5. A hoarseness or change in voice<\/li>\n
  6. A persistent sore throat or a feeling that something is stick in your throat<\/li>\n
  7. A numbness of mouth or tongue<\/li>\n
  8. Pain in the jaw or ear<\/li>\n
  9. Pain or bleeding in the mouth<\/li>\n
  10. Difficulty chewing or swallowing<\/li>\n
  11. Chronic bad breath<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    <\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Three years after his cancer diagnosis in 2010, actor\u00a0Michael Douglas\u00a0revealed that the cause of it was oral sex. He has since spent the last decade campaigning about the signs and symptoms of HPV. The Kominsky Method star was shocked when doctors investigating his persistent sore throat discovered a \u201cwalnut-size tumor\u201d at the base of his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":284,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=283"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":285,"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283\/revisions\/285"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/284"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=283"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=283"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aluremart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=283"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}