Behind The Candelabra star Michael Douglas has said in a surprisingly frank interview that oral sex was the cause of his terrifying fight with throat cancer.
The actor, currently starring alongside Matt Damon in the Liberace biopic, was diagnosed nearly three years ago, and made the admission when asked by The Guardian if he feared his years of smoking and drinking were behind the battle.
"No," he said. "Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus.
"I did worry if the stress caused by my son's incarceration didn't help trigger it. But yeah, it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer. And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it."
Douglas, who is married to fellow actor Catherine Zeta-Jones, said that several doctors missed the tumour following many months of discomfort.
Sexually transmitted virus HPV is known to be a cuase of cervical and anal cancer, but changes in sexual behaviour are thought to be responsible for it causing a rising number of oral cancers as well.
Behind The Candelabra, in which Douglas stars as Liberace, pulled in fantastic ratings for HBO when it debuted last month - earning the US network its highest ratings for a film premiere since the mid-naughties.
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