Val Kilmer has confirmed he had cancer, after previously claiming he had “no cancer whatsoever”.
While answering questions put to him by Reddit users, Val Kilmer revealed he “did have a healing of cancer” and was still dealing with a swollen tongue.
The 57-year-old star wrote: “Because I don’t sound my normal self yet people think I may still be under the weather.”
Speculation over Val Kilmer’s health grew last year after Michael Douglas said he was “dealing with” throat cancer.
“He was probably trying to help me cause press probably asked where I was these days,” the actor wrote while taking part in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) last week.
Writing on Facebook in 2016, Val Kilmer said his only recent contact with Michael Douglas had been to seek advice over a lump in his throat.
Known for his roles in such films as Heat, The Doors and Tombstone, Val Kilmer worked with Michael Douglas on The Ghost and the Darkness.
Following Michael Douglas’s comments last year, it was reported that Val Kilmer had been reluctant to seek medical treatment due to his Christian Science faith.
Many Christian Scientists believe that diseases can be healed with prayer, although the Church does not forbid adherents seeking medical aid.
Val Kilmer has denied he has cancer after Michael Douglas claimed his former co-star is ill.
“I love Michael Douglas but he is misinformed,” Val Kilmer wrote in a Facebook post.
Las week, Michael Douglas claimed that Val Kilmer was “dealing with” throat cancer – the same ailment that Douglas was diagnosed with in 2010.
Val Kilmer, however, said he was “rehabbing steadily” from “a swollen tongue” and had “no cancer whatsoever”.
“The last time I spoke to [Michael Douglas] was almost two years ago, when I asked him for a referral for a specialist to get a diagnosis for a lump in my throat,” he wrote.
Image source Facebook
“I ended up using a team at UCLA [University of California, Los Angeles] and have no cancer whatsoever,” the 56-year-old continued.
Following Michael Douglas’s comments, it was reported that Val Kilmer had been reluctant to seek medical treatment due to his Christian Science faith.
Many Christian Scientists believe that diseases can be healing with prayer, although the church does not forbid adherents seeking medical aid.
In his post, Val Kilmer said “concerns about [his] health” had been raised “by publications that have no respect for the truth”.
The actor added: “Some fans have mistakenly thought my silence about my personal issues meant that somehow I wasn’t being responsible to my health, because of my reliance on prayer and Love.
“Nothing could be further from the truth… Being healthy and having the respect of my peers and love from my family, friends, peers and fans is a DAILY source of inspiration, for which I am so grateful.”
Val Kilmer described Michael Douglas as “a loving and devoted friend”, adding: “I’m sure he meant no harm.”
He said he would be making personal appearances later this month at screenings of Cinema Twain, a film of his one-man play about author Mark Twain.
Val Kilmer’s post follows a number of Facebook messages last year in which he assured fans he had “no tumor or infection of any kind”.
Celine Dion’s husband and former manager Rene Angelil has died at the age of 73, the singer has announced.
Rene Angelil, who Celine Dion married in 1994 and with whom she has three children, died at home in Las Vegas from throat cancer.
Celine Dion took two career breaks to look after Rene Angelil after he was diagnosed with throat cancer, first in 2000.
Rene Angelil was born in Montreal in 1942. After managing groups in Canada, he was approached to manage Celine Dion by her parents when she was aged 12.
In August 2015, Celine Dion told USA Today she was preparing for her husband’s death.
“When it hits me, it’s going to hit me,” the singer said.
“But my biggest job is to tell my husband, we’re fine. I’ll take care of our kids. You’ll watch us from another spot.”
According to the Montreal Gazette, Rene Angelil mortgaged his house to finance Celine Dion’s first album.
Celine Dion has recorded 25 studio albums, and is the fifth-best-paid recording artist in the world, with a value of some $630 million.
In 1999, her song My Heart Will Go On, from the soundtrack of the Titanic movie, won two Grammy awards.
She has been a regular performer at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas since 2003.
Celine Dion returned to performing in 2015 after a year-long hiatus to look after Rene Angelil.
Rene Angelil stepped down as Celine Dion’s manager in 2014.
Janet Jackson has denied rumors she has throat cancer by using her own lyrics.
Concerns spread earlier this week, when RadarOnline reported “sources close to the singer” saying doctors had found a growth on her vocal cords.
Janet Jackson responded by quoting her song The Great Forever on social media: “Sources say but where ya gettin’ it? Don’t create the truth you like.”
In a statement, the singer added: “The rumors are untrue. I do not have cancer.”
Janet Jackson announced just before the new year she would postpone several 2016 dates on her Unbreakable world tour, telling fans she had been advised to have surgery.
“I need you to know, I learned today, from my doctors that I must have surgery soon,” the singer wrote.
“It breaks my heart to tell you that I am forced to postpone the Unbreakable tour until the spring.”
Janet Jackson, 49, did not elaborate on her condition at the time, saying: “There will be no further comment.”
Photo Getty Images
The cancer rumor originated on RadarOnline website and was rapidly reported by media outlets. The unnamed source was quoted as saying Janet Jackson’s family were “terrified” as they awaited test results.
Janet Jackson’s response was preceded by a message from her publicists, which said: “It was Janet’s wish not to make any further comments about her health, however, because of the great concern from around the world, Janet will be releasing a personal message shortly.”
After denying the cancer rumor, Janet Jackson stated: “I’m recovering. My doctors have approved my concerts as scheduled in Europe, and as I promised, the postponed shows will be rescheduled. Thank you for your prayers and love.”
The song Janet Jackson quoted, The Great Forever, takes aim at the media’s coverage of her personal life and the Jackson family in general.
Its lyrics continue: “[You] don’t like seeing people happy / Is it jealousy or personal? / Cause I don’t see why loving someone / Or what I do seem so radical to you.”
The Great Forever is taken from Janet Jackson’s current album, Unbreakable, which reached No 1 in the US in October 2015.
Unbreakable is Janet Jackson’s first release since her brother, Michael, died in 2009, which prompted the singer to take a step back from the public eye.
A new study has found that poor oral health and irregular dental checks can increase the risk of oral cancer.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer report also found excessive use of mouthwash – more than three times a day – can also increase risk.
Smoking, heavy drinking and “low socio-economic status” are established risk indicators of mouth and throat cancers.
The study covered 1,962 cancer patients and a further 1,993 control subjects across nine countries in Europe.
The study was led by the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology in Bremen, Germany, (BIPS) and backed by researchers from Glasgow University Dental School.
Prof. Wolfgang Ahrens, deputy director of BIPS, described the study findings as “really important”.
Poor oral health and irregular dental checks can increase the risk of oral cancer
“Up until now, it was not really known if these dental risk factors were independent of the well known risks for mouth and throat cancers – smoking, alcohol and low socio-economic status,” he said.
Prof. Wolfgang Ahrens said the report findings were highly “nuanced” and there was an interconnectedness of many of the risk factors.
The definition of poor oral health included people who had complete or part dentures and people with persistently bleeding gums.
Dr. David Conway, clinical senior lecturer at Glasgow University Dental School, said: “People should not assume that if they wear dentures and have none of their own teeth left, they have no need to see a dentist.
“On the contrary, even if you have got dentures, you should make sure you go for regular check-ups.”
People with poor dental care were defined as those who hardly ever or never brushed their teeth or visited the dentist.
Dr. David Conway said the frequency of dental visits should be determined by a dentist’s risk assessment and if people fell into the low-risk category it could be once a year or even every two years.
“It is not a case of one size fits all,” he added.
“Visits could be six-monthly, but certainly not five-yearly.”
The research team said the possible role of mouthwash as a risk factor would require further research.
They were unable to analyze the types of mouthwash used many years ago by participants in the study.
Dr. David Conway added: “I would not advise routine use of mouthwash, full stop.
“There are occasions and conditions for which a dentist could prescribe a mouthwash – it could be that a patient has a low salivary flow because of a particular condition or medicine they are taking.
“But for me, all that’s necessary, in general, is good regular brushing with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing combined with regular check-ups by a dentist.”
The new study findings have been published in Oral Oncology.
Michael Douglas has revealed why he lied to the press about the type of cancer he had.
The 69-year-old actor explained that he discussed the cancer with his surgeon and decided to mislead the press about the type of cancer he had.
“This was right before I had to go on a big tour for Wall Street 4 so we kinda said there’s no way we can cancel the tour and say we don’t feel well,” Michael Douglas said.
“You gotta tell them, so you know, I said you just gotta come out and just tell them I’ve got cancer and that’s that.”
“But, the surgeon said let’s just say it’s throat cancer. I said <<OK, you don’t want to say it’s tongue cancer, why’s that?>> and he said <<well, if you really wanna know why, if we do have to have surgery it’s not gonna be pretty>>.
“You’ll lose part of your jaw and your tongue and all of that stuff. So I said, <<OK sure>>.”
Michael Douglas spoke to fellow thespian Samuel L. Jackson about how he felt when he found out he had the disease on Thursday’s This Morning show.
Michael Douglas spoke to fellow thespian Samuel L. Jackson about how he felt when he found out he had the disease on Thursday’s This Morning show
“I will never forget it… I had an inkling… particularly when I saw the look on his face when he pushed my tongue down. It kind of all rushes over you, you get a little numb, very numb.”
A further blow came for Michael Douglas when he discovered the severity of his cancer when he was diagnosed in August 2010.
“I said <<Stage four?>>…And that’s where I got a little scared,” Michael Douglas confessed.
On a special Male Cancer Awareness Week episode of the show in association with One for the Boys, Michael Douglas talked about how the diagnosis affected his children.
“The kids were great. They saw me have the radiation. I found the more they knew the better it was, what scares you is not knowing,” he explained.
“I looked pretty weird and I lost a lot of weight and I sat my kids down when there was some stupid tabloid stories and I said <<guys, I want you to know in case you hear at school that their might me stories coming out about your mummy and I…>> and my thirteen-year-old son Dylan said <<you mean like the story when you had three weeks to live, Dad?>> And I said <<yeah, like that one Dylan!>>.”
Michael Douglas also spoke about his current health.
“I was having checks every three months, then you go to six months, and just before I got here I had my last check up and I passed two years and I’m clean. And with my type of cancer if you’re clean after two years, there’s a 95 percent chance of it not coming back.”
Michael Douglas made his message clear to other men.
“Guys… you look at your body every day, you know every mole and everything that’s there. If you see something that looks a little strange or you feel a bump somewhere, check it out. Please.
“I made that mistake and I don’t want to see you do it.”
A new study suggests that one third of people diagnosed with throat cancer are infected with a form of the HPV virus.
HPV (human papillomavirus) is the major cause of cervical cancer.
Actor Michael Douglas is reported to have spoken about the link after his own diagnosis with throat cancer.
Experts said this study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, which quantifies the link, showed “striking” results.
There are more than 100 types of HPV. Most people will be infected with HPV at some point, but in most the immune system will offer protection.
A new study suggests that one third of people diagnosed with throat cancer are infected with a form of the HPV virus
There are two HPV strains which are most likely to cause cancer – HPV-16 and HPV-18.
HPV-16 is thought to be responsible for around 60% of cervical cancers, 80% of cancers in the anus and 60% of oral cancers.
This study looked at HPV’s link with cancer of the back of the throat – oropharyngeal cancer.
It looked at blood test results collected from people who took part in a huge prospective study into lifestyle and cancer, who were all healthy at the start.
Everyone gives a blood sample when they join the study, and in this case the researchers were able to check for the presence of antibodies to one of HPV’s key proteins – E6.
E6 knocks out part of cells’ protection system, which should prevent cancer developing.
Having the antibodies means HPV has already overcome that defense and caused cancerous changes in cells.
The researchers compared blood test results – some more than 10 years old – for 135 people who went on to develop throat cancer and for 1,599 cancer-free people.
The University of Oxford team found 35% of those with throat cancer had the antibodies, compared with fewer than 1% of those who were cancer-free.
However, these patients were more likely to survive throat cancer than people whose disease had other causes, such as alcohol or tobacco use.
The study found 84% of people with the antibodies were still alive five years after diagnosis, compared with 58% of those without.
Michael Douglas reportedly snubbed Scott Thorson, the terminally ill former lover of piano legend Liberace – even though he’s starring in a movie based on a book written by the dying man.
Scott Thorson, who was diagnosed with advanced anal cancer in August 2012, was Liberace’s lover from 1976 to 1982.
His book, Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace, is the basis of the new HBO film that stars Michael Douglas as the flamboyant performer.
But even though Michael Douglas is a fellow cancer sufferer, sources say he rebuffed Scott Thorson’s request to visit him on the set before being jailed in February 2103.
“All I wanted do was meet Michael and talk to him about my cancer,” Scott Thorson, 54, explained to The National Enquirer.
“But I was bluntly told it would be impossible. That really hurt.”
Scott Thorson’s six-year romance with Liberace began when he was just 18 and the entertainer was 57.
He revealed he was showered with lavish gifts, expensive vacations and promises by Liberace to adopt and care for him.
But the relationship ended in 1982, when Scott Thorson says he was dumped for a teenager.
Michael Douglas as Liberace and Matt Da¬mon as Scott Thorson in Steven Soderbergh’s Behind The Candelabra
Although Behind the Candelabra was published in 1988, a year after Liberace died of AIDS, Scott Thorson says he didn’t find out until 2008 that producer Jerry Weintraub wanted to make a movie out of the book.
At the time, Scott Thorson was serving time behind bars on a drug-related robbery and desperately needed money. He admits he got “a little up-front money and a small percentage” of the film sales.
While Scott Thorson did his time, Jerry Weintraub assembled his team: Michael Douglas as Liberace, Matt Damon as Scott Thorson and director Steven Soderbergh.
In August 2010, Michael Douglas was diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer and the movie was put on hold.
Thankfully, Michael Douglas beat the cancer, and production began in the summer of 2012 in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Palm Springs. But Scott Thorson says he was left out in the cold.
“I thought it was very strange that I was never contacted,” he said.
“Then, about three months ago, I got one phone call from Jerry Weintraub when he found out that I had cancer. He said, <<I’m very sorry that you’re going through cancer>>. And that was it.”
Scott Thorson revealed he was immediately cut off when he asked if he could reach out to both Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. He said the indication was that Michael Douglas – whose son Cameron is also in jail on d**g charges – didn’t want him on the set, even as a consultant.
“It was clear that I wasn’t welcome,” Scott Thorson said.
“My heart sank. These people were portraying me but I was a persona non grata. I’m angry.”
Scott Thorson has undergone radiation and chemotherapy treatments, but the tumor remains.
“Right now, I’m very scared,” Scott Thorson admitted.
“I’ve already run through the money I got for the movie and I’ve got nothing left.
“I don’t know if I’ll make it to the premiere in May…or if I’m even invited.”
Michael Douglas did not say he developed throat cancer because of a HPV infection, his publicist has said.
Michael Douglas, 68, who was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, was quoted as telling The Guardian his strain of cancer had been caused by HPV (human papillomavirus).
But in a statement Michael Douglas’ spokesman sought to clarify that the actor was not talking about his own cancer.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says HPV can cause cancer of the head and neck.
In his statement on Monday, Allen Burry said: “No. He [Michael Douglas] did not say oral s** was the cause of his cancer.”
The publicist referred to medical evidence linking oral s** to head neck cancer, adding “but [Michael Douglas] did not say it was the cause to his specific cancer”.
Michael Douglas was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2010
The Guardian stood by its story, releasing audio of the interview.
In the newspaper’s article on Sunday, Michael Douglas was asked if, given his illness, he regretted his years of smoking and drinking.
Michael Douglas was quoted as saying: “No. Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunni***gus.”
The actor continued: “I did worry if the stress caused by my son’s incarceration didn’t help trigger it. But yeah, it’s a s**ually transmitted disease that causes cancer.”
Michael Douglas’ illness is now in remission, following treatment.
His son, Cameron, is serving a prison sentence for d**g possession and dealing.
Michael Douglas, who is married to Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, was treated in the early 1990s for an addiction which some at the time claimed to be s**.
Michael Douglas himself denied this and said he was in rehab for alcohol abuse.
Michael Douglas has claimed that his throat cancer was caused by human papilloma virus (HPV), a s**ually transmitted disease.
Michael Douglas, 68, who fought a six month battle with the disease from August 2010 until January 2011, had initially believed that it was his years of smoking and drinking that had lead to the illness.
The Hollywood star made the frank admission about how he developed the illness during an interview with The Guardian newspaper when he was asked if he had regretted smoking and drinking in the past.
Michael Douglas candidly replied: “No. Because, without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunni***gus.”
The actor, who is married to Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, was diagnosed with cancer in August 2010 after a walnut-sized tumor was found on his tongue.
Michael Douglas’ health troubles started just a few months after his eldest son Cameron – from his first marriage to Diandra Luker – was jailed for d**g possession and dealing.
The actor admitted he initially believed his disease had been triggered by the stress over his son’s legal troubles.
Michael Douglas has claimed that his throat cancer was caused by human papilloma virus
Michael Douglas explained: “I did worry if the stress caused by my son’s incarceration didn’t help trigger it. But yeah, it’s a s**ually transmitted disease that causes cancer. And if you have it, cunni**gus is also the best cure for it.”
He was diagnosed with stage four of the disease and underwent an intense course of chemotherapy and radiation.
Eventually, Michael Douglas was given the all-clear, although he still has to undergo check-ups with doctors every six months.
However, the actor is optimistic he has conquered the disease once and for all.
“With this kind of cancer, 95 per cent of the time it doesn’t come back,” he said.
More than 20 years ago, Michael Douglas was hospitalized for an addiction, which many reports at the time claimed was to s**.
However, he has since denied that he was a s** addict, insisting that he was being treated for alcohol abuse.
HPV is a sexually transmitted virus which is more widely known as a cause of cervical and anal cancer.
Last year, Cancer Research UK said the rising rates of HPV16-positive cases of oral cancer could be linked to oral s**.
Ghana’s President John Atta Mills has died from throat cancer aged 68.
A statement from his office said John Atta Mills died in the country’s capital Accra a few hours after being taken ill, but did not give details.
“It is with a heavy heart…that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the Republic of Ghana,” the statement said.
John Atta Mills has ruled the West African country since 2009.
Ghana's President John Atta Mills has died from throat cancer aged 68
John Atta Mills’ voice has been degenerating in the last few months.
A presidential aide said the leader had complained of suffering pains on Monday evening and he died on Tuesday afternoon, Reuters reports.
John Atta Mills had returned to Ghana after visiting the US for medical checks, the news agency says.
John Atta Mills came to power after narrowly winning against a candidate from the then governing New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, in polls in December 2008.
He was to run for a second term in December.
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