Did Oral Sex Cause Michael Douglas Cancer?

Actor, Michael Douglas, reveals to the Guardian that HPV, transmitted through oral sex, was responsible for his throat cancer

Xan Brooks' full interview: Michael Douglas on Liberace, Cannes, cancer and cunnilingus

James Ball: is Douglas right about cunnilingus cancer link?

Link to video: Behind the Candelabra: watch a world exclusive trailer

Michael Douglas – the star of Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction – has revealed that his throat cancer was apparently caused by performing oral sex.

In a surprisingly frank interview with the Guardian, the actor, now winning plaudits in the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra, explained the background to a condition that was thought to be nearly fatal when diagnosed three years ago. Asked whether he now regretted his years of smoking and drinking, usually thought to be the cause of the disease, Douglas replied: "No. Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papilloma virus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus."

Douglas, the husband of Catherine Zeta Jones, continued: "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."

The actor, now 68, was diagnosed with cancer in August 2010, following many months of oral discomfort. But a series of specialists missed the tumor and instead prescribed antibiotics. Douglas then went to see a friend's doctor in Montreal who looked inside his mouth using a tongue depressor.

"I will always remember the look on his face," Douglas has previously said. "He said: 'We need a biopsy.' There was a walnut-size tumor at the base of my tongue that no other doctor had seen."

Shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with stage four cancer, which is often terminal, and embarked on an intensive eight-week course of chemotherapy and radiation. He refused to use a feeding tube, despite his palate being burnt on account of the treatment, and so lost 20kg (45lb) on a liquids-only diet. "That's a rough ride. That can really take it out of you," he told the Guardian. "Plus the amount of chemo I was getting, it zaps all the good stuff too. It made me very weak."

The treatment worked and Douglas is now more than two years clear of cancer. He has check-ups every six months, he said, "and with this kind of cancer, 95% of the time it doesn't come back".

The cause of Douglas's cancer had long been assumed to be related to his tobacco habit, coupled with enthusiastic boozing. In 1992, he was hospitalized for an addiction which some at the time claimed to be sex. Douglas himself denied this and said he was in rehab for alcohol abuse. He has also spoken of recreational drug use.

HPV, the sexually transmitted virus best known as a cause of cervical and anal cancer and genital warts, is thought to be responsible for an increasing proportion of oral cancers.

Some suggest that changes in sexual behavior – a rise in oral sex in particular – are responsible. Such changes might be cultural, but could also be linked to fears about the safety of penetrative sex in the wake of the Aids epidemic.

Mahesh Kumar, a consultant head and neck surgeon in London, confirmed that the last decade has seen a dramatic rise in this form of cancer, particularly among younger sufferers. Recent studies of 1,316 patients with oral cancer found that 57% of them were HPV-16 positive.

"It has been established beyond reasonable doubt that the HPV type 16 is the causative agent in oropharyngeal cancer," said Kumar, who also testified to increased recovery rates among this kind of cancer sufferer. This would help explain why Douglas was given an 80% chance of survival, despite the advanced stage of his illness.

But Kumar expressed scepticism that Douglas's cancer was caused solely by HPV, and surprise at Douglas's assertion that cunnilingus could also help cure the condition. "Maybe he thinks that more exposure to the virus will boost his immune system. But medically, that just doesn't make sense."

Ann Robinson, a GP, expressed interest in how confirmation of this association would affect the rollout of the HPV vaccine, which is currently restricted in the UK. "My main priority with diagnosing a patient with oral cancer is to get them referred, as early intervention can be so crucial. Asking for a detailed sexual history would be inappropriate at that stage."

Douglas has two children, aged 10 and 12, with his second wife, Zeta Jones, as well as an older son, Cameron, from a previous marriage. In 2010, Cameron was sentenced to five years in prison for drugs possession and dealing, and a year later had his sentence extended until 2018 after he pleaded guilty to possessing drugs in prison.

HPV: the facts

• There are more than 100 variants of HPV (human papilloma virus). They appear in different parts of the body and manifest themselves in different ways – some cause warts, but most are symptomless.

• Some are spread by skin-to-skin contact, while others are typically spread during sex. When HPV is found in the mouth, it probably got there as a result of oral sex.

• HPV is common – if you're a sexually active adult, you've probably had it. By the age of 25, 90% of sexually active people will have been exposed to some form of genital HPV.

• Around 15 types of HPV are linked to increased cancer risk, but it can't be explicitly said to cause any particular cancers. It's a long-term risk factor: over years and decades the risk is increased, rather than overnight.

• It is calculated that between 25% and 35% of oral cancers are HPV-related – meaning that it seems to be involved in 1,500-2,000 diagnoses a year.

• Overall, HPV-related oral cancers are most common in heterosexual men in their 40s and 50s.

• Teenage girls in the UK and elsewhere are now vaccinated against HPV, which should in time both protect them from cervical cancers and – it's believed – future partners from HPV-related oral cancers.

Read Xan Brooks' full interview with Michael Douglas

Since Douglas gave his interview and this piece was originally posted, Michael Douglas has tried to walk back his comments, even though the Guardian claims they have the interview on video.  It is all sounding more and more like a lot of publicity hype for Behind the Candelabra.  The real question is:  Is there something worthwhile to discuss from all of this?

Related:

HPV Vaccine Dangers 

Why Use Vaccine for HPV When Green Tea Works? 

WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT NOW RECOMMENDING THE HPV VACCINE FOR BOYS? 

The Gardasil Timeline: A History of Corruption and Negative Reactions

Gardasil – If A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words, Then A Video Report, Or Two, Or Three, Or SEVEN… 

Katie Couric Reports on Serious Vaccine Safety Issues – Finally!!

Technorati Tags: HPV,Michael Douglas,health,Cancer,publicity,Hollywood,human papilloma virus,Liberace,Cannes,cunnilingus,oropharyngeal cancer,Catherine Zeta Jones,oral sex,movies,sex

Cervarix Just as Dangerous as Gardasil

Anthony Gucciardi

Activist Post

It seems that GlaxoSmithKline's alternative to deadly Gardasil is just about as unsafe, with one 13-year-old entering into a ‘waking coma’ only one day after receiving a Cervarix vaccination. She now sleeps for 23 hours per day, after being unable to walk or talk after receiving the HPV shot at school.

Told that the vaccine had very few side-effects and would protect their daughter from cervical cancer, parents Steve and Pauline Hinks allowed their young daughter to receive the shot as any unsuspecting parents would. Even after their daughter experienced adverse reactions from the MMR vaccine, the parents were urged by nurses to let their daughter receive the Cervarix jab.

Her mother explained:

"I was concerned about the potential side-effects because Lucy had a severe reaction from the MMR vaccine. But I was reassured by the school nurse that side-effects were extremely unlikely. We feel betrayed because, like most parents, we trust the health authorities with our children’s lives."

Similar Gardasil stories have been reported, and it is no coincidence that these parents initially believe the vaccine to be safe and effective. In a recent report centered around Merck’s advertising campaign, it was found that there was absolutely no mention of the Gardasil death link, or even other serious adverse reactions that been continually reported after injection.

Their daughter was reported to be in excellent health before the shot, and was among the top students in her year.
Cervarix is given to girls aged 12 and 13 under a nationwide program which started in September 2008. Already linked to 4,445 side effects, a number of which have been quite severe, parents who do not want to subject their child to the shot must opt out. Interestingly, the 4,445 side effects occurred within the program’s first 2 years, such adverse reactions included:

• 1,669 reports of ‘injection-site reactions’
• 1,013 reported allergic reactions and rashes
• 3,591 other ‘recognized reactions’ including 631 cases of nausea and 629 headaches
• 4 cases of nerve disease Guillan-Barre Syndrome, which can lead to paralysis and even death.

Of course many of these reported side effects are quite mild, and it may soon come out that there are a number of hidden deaths and more significant adverse reactions associated with Cervarix. Such was the case with Gardasil, with FDA documents released through the Freedom of Information Act detailing 26 previously unknown deaths associated with the HPV shot.

It is quite apparent that Cervarix is not a safe alternative to Gardasil.

Explore More:

1. Gardasil Victims Take Legal Action Against Merck Over Miscarriage, Deadly Reactions
2. Advisory Panel Urges CDC to Push Gardasil on Young Boys
3. Merck’s Profits Explode as Government-Backed HPV Shot Gardasil Sales Skyrocket
4. 49 Dead, Others Hospitalized After Gardasil HPV Vaccine
5. Uncovered FDA Documents Reveal 26 More Gardasil Deaths

Please visit Natural Society for more great health news and vaccine information.

Related:

Merck’s Profits Explode as Government-Backed HPV Shot Gardasil Sales Skyrocket

Why is the Government Now Recommending the HPV Vaccine for Boys?

The Gardasil Timeline: A History of Corruption and Negative Reactions

Exposed: Illinois Law Financially Penalizes Schools When Vaccination Rates Drop Below 90%

Gardasil – If A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words, Then A Video Report, Or Two, Or Three, or SEVEN…

Merck Vaccine Scientist Dr. Maurice Hilleman Admitted Presence of SV40, AIDS and Cancer Viruses in Vaccines

Rick Perry - Lies About Dying Woman and His HPV Decisions

Bill Gates Confirms Population Reduction Through Vaccination on CNN

Video: Gardasil & Vaccine Dangers: Coast to Coast AM – Oct 20, 2011 – George Noory

Vaccinations: A Thoughtful Parent's Guide: How to Make Safe, Sensible Decisions about the Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives

ALERT:  Anthrax Vaccine to be Tested on Children

Cross-Posted at Ask Marion

Can Oral Sex Cause Throat Cancer? - Part One

Be Safe, Not Sorry

I read an article over the weekend, that was originally written in July 2008, by Dr. Edward C. Geehr, M.D. about oral sex causing throat cancer

In an era of HIV and chastity rings, teenagers and young adults – roughly 75% of them – have turned to oral sex as a “less risky” option. But it’s not safe sex. And while it won’t get you pregnant, it can still get you into big trouble. For the first time ever, researchers at Johns Hopkins University have established a link between oral sex, the human papillomavirus (the same virus that causes cervical cancer) and throat cancer. That adds to a roster of risks already tied to oral sex: herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV…

This is scary news for the rising numbers of young people choosing oral sex over intercourse.

One Johns Hopkins professor notes that since 1990, the percentage of male patients at his clinic alone who have had oral sex has risen from 50% to about 75%; for women and girls, from 25% to about 75%.

That’s a huge number exposing themselves to this cancer …  And the article went on~

As I was reading... the obvious kept slapping me in the face.  All of this is pretty much a result of promiscuity, kids having unbridled sex, irresponsibility and bad living.  And the only way we are going to get this under control is to get our lives and standards under control.  It is pretty sad to think that we are living in an era that by the time our kids graduate from college and life is really supposed to begin their health and sex lives are already damaged for good.

HPV Vaccine Dangers

Prominent Scientist Warns of HPV Vaccine Dangers

Independent health researcher Grace Filby, who won a Churchill Fellowship for her research into phage therapy, is calling on the government for more research into the possible side-effects of the HPV vaccine that is currently being given to teenage girls.  Filby believes that not enough is known about the effects of the vaccine on children with pre-existing medical conditions and weakened immune systems. She says, "We simply do not know whether the vaccine interacts with other medication or medical conditions, and the manufacturers have not studied it yet. This could be a very valid reason why some families and schools might hesitate or opt out."  She has this week written to UK education ministers and health officials calling for urgent small-scale independent studies that would highlight any health problems stemming from vaccinations already carried out. Sources: Medical News Today October 1, 2008 Dr. Mercola's Comments: According to the CDC, the human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in America. More than 6 million women contract it annually, yet cervical cancer claims less than 3,900 women – most of which are due to not getting regular Pap smears. In the U.K., cervical cancer claims a mere 400 lives per year. Why is your risk of dying from cervical cancer so low? Because your immune system is usually strong enough to clear up this kind of infection on its own, and does so in more than 90 percent of all cases. The CDC even admits to this fact on their website. And, as long as you’re getting regular PAP smears, cervical cancer can be caught in its early, and easily treatable, stages. So, the question begs to be asked: WHY is the HPV vaccine being pushed so vigorously when: it prevents a type of cancer that is very rare to begin with it protects against a virus that, 98 percent of the time, is not the cause of cervical cancer it prevents a type of cancer that can be easily caught and treated by promoting regular gynecological exams it  offers less protection than what promotion of safe sex practices could accomplish it is promoted to girls years before becoming sexually active, even though the vaccine may only offer about three years worth of protection  it prevents just 4 out of more than 100 strains of HPV; all of which your body can clear up on its own in 90 percent of all cases anyway it has NOT been proven safe. No one knows if it can cause cancer or infertility, for example And why would the feds go so far as to add Gardasil to the list of vaccinations that all female immigrants ages 11 to 26 MUST get before they can obtain a green card? We’re not dealing with potential import of bubonic plague here… According to a New England Journal of Medicine study, the use of condoms reduces the incidence of HPV by 70 percent, offering FAR better protection than Gardasil, for example. The HPV vaccine is a total head-scratcher of a mystery as far as what its ultimate purpose is, because “curing the rampant health disaster of cervical cancer” is certainly NOT it. And since when do we have to be vaccinated against cancer in order to be let into a country? Does the HPV Vaccine LITERALLY Mean “One Less”? Marketing geniuses are known to play on words and create slogans with quirky double meanings, and if you’ve been tracking the concerns raised about the potential hazards of Gardasil and Cervarix, the potential for these HPV vaccines to cause infertility – whether purposely or inadvertently – is being heard with ever increasing frequency. The federal government's Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) has received over 9,000 reports of problems since the vaccine's introduction in 2006, which include at least 28 spontaneous abortions, and 27 deaths. Is it possible that Gardasil’s cry to fame, ‘One Less’, is turning out to be nothing but a sick, ironic play on words? Anti-Fertility Vaccines The World Health Organization (WHO) and its subsidiaries have been actively researching and funding the development of contraceptive / anti-fertility vaccines that prevent full-term pregnancies to take place, for over 20 years. There’s even a Task Force on Birth Control Vaccines of the WHO! However, no anti-fertility vaccine has ever been placed on the market and promoted as such as of yet. Instead, as described in a 1993 journal paper published in The British Medical Bulletin, anti-fertility vaccines were being engineered “incorporating tetanus or diphtheria toxoid linked to a variety of hCG-based peptides.” The authors of this article state, "The fundamental principle behind this approach to contraceptive vaccine development is to prevent the maternal recognition of pregnancy by inducing a state of immunity against hGC, the hormone that signals the presence of the embryo to the maternal endocrine system.” Free tetanus vaccines that were offered to young women of childbearing age for years in countries such as Tanzania, Nigeria, Mexico, and the Philippines, were found to contain human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), which causes spontaneous abortions if the woman becomes pregnant. While the woman is not technically sterilized, once injected with hCG, she may never be able to carry a child full term thereafter. HCG-containing anti-fertility vaccines have also been pursued for more than two decades by the Indian National Institute of Immunology, and The Population Council of the Rockefeller University, among others. In fact, there are no less than 50 research papers detailing research on “contraceptive vaccines” in the PubMed database. One disturbing paper published in the FASEB Journal in 1993 states: “… we initiated studies relating to possible mechanisms of action and potential side effects of this vaccine, which should be relevant to world-wide regulation of population growth.” So again, why the frantic push for the HPV vaccine, created for young, fertile women, when there’s NO solid, rational basis for its use? Massive Brazilian Vaccination Program Raises Suspicions of Covert Sterilization Plans A much more recent case of illogical mass vaccinations against a minor health problem is that of the massive, mandatory vaccination program in Brazil, which has raised suspicions among international pro-life activists, who note that the program is similar to other vaccination programs in recent years that have included a hidden sterilizing agent in the vaccines. The campaign to “annihilate rubella” began in early August this year, mandating rubella vaccinations for all women ages 12 to 49, and 12 to 39 for men; a total of 70 million people, despite the fact that only 17 Brazilian children per year suffer birth defects from the disease. Adolfo Castañeda of Human Life International notes that just two years ago, researchers found that the rubella vaccine used in a similar campaign in Argentina was laced with human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). “The suspicion that brought about the investigation [into the rubella vaccine] was caused by the fact that there were very few cases of the disease in Argentina, which didn’t merit a large-scale campaign,” Castañeda said, adding, “The ages for women are the same as those who received the vaccines in Nicaragua, where they included a hormone that sterilizes the woman who receives it, and similar to the age of those who received another sterilizing hormone in the Philippines.” Polysorbate-80 – One Less Mouse, Researchers Found Now, let me state clearly that there’s no proof of hCG being present in any of the current HPV vaccines. I am merely playing devil’s advocate as I examine the similarities between these other irrational vaccination programs in other countries for relatively minor public health concerns -- that turn out to have far more sinister agendas than mere greed – compared to the fervent, irrational push behind the HPV vaccine here in the U.S. However, Gardasil does contain Polysorbate-80 – a surfactant used in pharmacology to deliver certain drugs or chemical agents across the blood-brain barrier -- which has been linked to infertility in mice. Researchers Gajdova et.al. found that administration of Polysorbate-80 decreased the weight of the uterus and ovaries, and caused chronic estrogenic stimulation. The ovaries of the mice were also without corpora lutea (a mass of progesterone-secreting endocrine tissue that forms immediately after ovulation) and had degenerative follicles. So what might the estrogenic effects of Polysorbate-80 be on pre-adolescent girls and pregnant women? Anti-Fertility Vaccine Ingredient Also Has Clinical Application in Cancer Vaccines… A potential coincidence I find most disturbing is some of the more recent research detailing the use of hCG, and other molecules, in vaccines against hCG-producing cancers, such as – certain cervical cancers. One 2005 paper titled, Recent advances in contraceptive vaccine development: a mini-reviewpublished in the journal Human Reproduction concludes: “At the present time, studies are focused on increasing the immunogenicity and efficacy of the birth control vaccine, and examining its clinical applications in various HCG-producing cancers.” But research published just a few months ago in the journal Molecular Cancer states that the free β-subunit of hCG (hCGβ) – which was originally considered biologically non-functional -- has recently been shown to stimulate tumor growth, and lead to more aggressive tumors that are more resistant to therapy. Again, I’m mentioning all of this because it just goes to show that pharmaceutical companies have little or no clue of the extent of harm these vaccines might cause, especially long-term. Something believed to be completely non-functional or harmless can turn out to be a MAJOR cause for concern after more thorough investigation. For example, Gardasil also contains L-histadine, and histamines have been found to increase clot production five-fold when combined with, guess what? Surfactants! (L-histidine can also pass through your placental wall to your fetus.)  Granted, this laboratory investigative report titled Surfactants Attenuate Gas Embolism-induced Thrombin Production used surfactants like Perftoran, not Polysorbate-80, in their trials, but could Polysorbate-80 have a similar effect? Could this explain why death from blood clots within hours or days is the MOST COMMON form of death after receiving Gardasil? The HPV vaccine clearly has a lot of questions left to be answered. And those questions should be answered BEFORE pushing Gardasil on an unsuspecting public at the rate that it’s being done. Be One Less to Get Gardasil I think this would be a more appropriate message to send out to young women: There is absolutely no reason to risk the serious side effects of this vaccine to prevent an infection that goes away on its own 90 percent of the time. And there’s no guarantee that you’ll be protected anyway, since you can still get HPV once you’ve had the vaccine. It’s really a no-win situation for those who receive it.  Of course, you can radically reduce your risk of getting HPV in the first place if you follow safe-sex practices, or wait to have sex until you’re in a committed relationship. Then, keep your immune system in tip-top shape, and it will be more than able to shake any HPV virus that comes its way. Gosh sometimes you really have to wonder what has happened to our common sense.  We have been sold down the river by the pharmaceutical companies and our governement that has allowed this.... and we keep buying it.  When I first heard about this I thought how crazy!  Who would ever allow their child to have this vaccine.  We not only chose to give our children this vaccine, we allowed who states to mandate it. Related Articles: 32 Girls Have Died