The 65-year-old actor, who is the son of Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas, is set to begin chemotherapy after doctors discovered a tumour in his throat during a routine medical check-up, reported People magazine online.
The Oscar winner's doctors expect him to make a full recovery as soon as he completes eight weeks of treatment, which will include a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.
"I am very optimistic," Douglas said in a statement to the magazine.
No word yet on how the treatment will affect his work schedule, as Douglas has a lot on his plate, including promotion for his return to the character Gordon Gekko in 'Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps' which opens in September.
The actor is enjoying a high in a career spanning four decades and cult films like 'Fatal Attraction', 'Basic Instinct' and 'Traffic'.
Douglas has been married since 2000 to the 'Mask opf Zorro' actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and they have two young children together.
The actor also has a son Cameron, from his earlier marriage to Diandra Douglas.
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