Bette Midler has praised Michael Douglas for revealing his throat cancer was caused by oral sex.
The 'Behind the Candelabra' star, who was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2010, believes the illness was caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which is best known for causing cervical cancer but has been linked to throat cancer, and Bette is happy he has brought attention to this epidemic.
5 June 2013
She tweeted: “Bravo to Michael Douglas (so brilliant in the Liberace biopic) for telling the world that throat cancer can be caused by oral sex thru HPV (sic).”
Michael, 68, who is married to Catherine Zeta-Jones, recently revealed he has no regrets about spending years smoking and drinking, for which he sought treatment in rehab in 1992, because he doesn't think it caused him to get sick.
The actor – cancer free since 2010 - said: "No. Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunnilingus (oral sex performed on a female)."
Michael, who has two children, Carys, 10, and Dylan, 12, with Catherine, as well as 34-year-old son Cameron, currently serving a jail sentence for drug offences, with his first wife Diandra Luker, was initially worried that stress had made him ill.
He explained: "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."
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