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Oral cancer patients have been handed a monumental lifeline after Michael Douglas previously got candid about his symptoms.
In a 2013 chat with The Guardian, the Hollywood veteran blamed his own life-threatening diagnosis on 'cunnilingus', before subsequently conceding at a fancy bash: "I never expected to become a poster boy for head and neck cancer, but, if after what started out as trying to answer a couple of questions about the suspected sources of this disease results in opening up discussion and furthering public awareness, then I'll stand by that."
During his battle with the disease, Douglas endured an eight-week schedule of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but now scientists are suggesting that a drug is about to change the face of recovery.
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Per MailOnline, the injection (pembrolizumab, or Keytruda) helps our immune systems detect hidden cancer cells and is currently only given to NHS patients with lung, cervical and breast cancers.
A medical trial recently discovered that the drug suppresses head and neck cancers for five years instead of the 30 months awarded by standardised treatments such as surgery and the two aforementioned therapies.
The trial's conductors presented their work at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in Chicago, where they also expressed how the cancer returned in just half of the pembrolizumab patients after five years, compared to the currently established two-and-a-half-year limit.
In addition to this, the risk of cancer travelling to some other part of the body was down by 10 per cent too.
"For patients with newly-diagnosed, locally-advanced head and neck cancer, treatments haven't changed in over two decades," noted Kevin Harrington, a professor of biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research, London.
"Immunotherapy has been amazingly beneficial for patients with cancer that has come back or spread around the body but, until now, it hasn't been as successful for those presenting for the first time with disease which has spread to nearby areas.
"This research shows that immunotherapy could change the world for these patients—it significantly decreases the chance of cancer spreading around the body, at which point it's incredibly difficult to treat."
Meanwhile, Douglas, whose wife Catherine Zeta-Jones can be seen reprising Morticia Addams in the second season of Netflix's Wednesday, once recalled how he came to learn of his cancer diagnosis.
He was initially experiencing a persistent sore throat, but despite knocking on the doctor's door many times, his concerns were brushed off.
It wasn't until he visited a medical friend in Montreal that the truth behind his 'throat infection' was cracked open.
"I will always remember the look on his face," said the Falling Down star.
"He said: 'We need a biopsy.' There was a walnut-size tumor at the base of my tongue that no other doctor had seen."
Douglas was diagnosed with IV squamous cell carcinoma oral cancer, fearing he would have to have part of his jaw removed.
The side effects of his treatment were horrific, with burns to his palate. He refused a feeding tube and lost a massive 20kg (45 pounds) on a liquids-only diet.
"That's a rough ride. That can really take it out of you. Plus the amount of chemo I was getting, it zaps all the good stuff too. It made me very weak," he revealed.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
