After being diagnosed with throat cancer, 65 year-old Hollywood megastar Michael Douglas has vowed to beat the life-threatening disease. Despite his determination, however, doctors have warned Douglas that he may never act again.

Michael Douglas and wife Catherine

Douglas and his family – including devoted wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, 40, and his three children, Cameron, Dylan Michael and Carys Zeta – received the shocking news just days ago, but the Oscar-winning actor has already reportedly said:

“I’ll beat this. The treatment may be tough going but I will get through it.”

A heavy smoker who has battled to quit the cigarettes for years, Douglas has been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. He has cancelled all work commitments – including the promotion for new blockbuster Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps, which Douglas stars in with Carey Mulligan and Shia LaBeouf–and will start an eight-week course of chemotherapy and radiation treatment immediately.

Although this chemotherapy treatment is intended as alternative to larynx surgery, the aggressive nature of it has led doctors to warn that Douglas may end up with badly damaged vocal cords, even if he gets the all-clear from cancer. This may result in the end of his acting career.

New Jersey doctor Jennifer Ashton commented to the Daily Record on the likelihood of Douglas losing his voice, saying that it depends on:

“…the stage of the cancer, the location and size of the tumour and, probably most importantly, the age of the patient and their general state of health and attitude”.

Tony Curtis, Hollywood legend and Some Like It Hot star, dies age 85