Michael Douglas, the legendary American actor and star of Steven Soderbergh's new movie Behind The Candelabra, claims he got throat cancer through oral sex. When asked whether he regrets his years of heavy drinking and smoking - the usual causes of cancer - Douglas told the Guardian, "No. Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus." Err, ok.

Bizarrely, the Oscar winner, who is married to Catherine Zeta-Jones, went on to claim that oral sex was also the best cure for it, "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." Celebrity GP Dr Drew Pinsky praised the actor for the interview, tweeting, "Very courageous, will help reduce the risk for others," though other professionals remained sceptical. Mahesh Kumar, a London-based head and neck surgeon, said, "It has been established beyond reasonable doubt that the HPV type 16 is the causative agent in oropharyngeal cancer. Maybe he thinks that more exposure to the virus will boost his immune system. But medically, that just doesn't make sense."

Douglas' representative denied that the actor made a specific link between cancer and oral sex, saying, "He did not say this was the cause of his cancer. In a discussion of oral cancer, he said this is one of the suspected causes. He never made it personal."

Michael Douglas plays Liberace in Soderbergh's new HBO movie Behind the Candelabra. 

Michael DouglasMichael Douglas At The Cannes Film Festival In 2013

Michael Douglas Catherine Zeta-Jones
Michael Douglas [L] and Catherine Zeta-Jones [R] At The Chaplin Awards