Michael Douglas' Voice

As a head and neck surgeon, I also perform reconstruction after head and neck cancer surgery. There are a lot of stories about Michael Douglas in the media and some misinformation. Unfortunately, all that we know is that Mr. Douglas suffers from 'throat' cancer and is set to undergo chemotherapy plus radiation therapy. There are many anatomic parts of the throat including the tonsils, voice box, tongue, and base of tongue which could be affected. There is also no mention if the tumor has spread to the lymph nodes of the neck. All of this information is important to determine what the chances of voice damage will be after treatment. Unfortunately most head and neck chemo/radiation results in dry mouth, changes in voice, some difficulty swallowing, alteration or loss of taste, and may still require surgery. There are a lot of unkowns but it appears that he is receiving very aggressive treatment and will hopefully fully recover.