Michael Douglas could lose his voice after undergoing treatment for throat cancer, doctors say. The 65-year-old actor was diagnosed with the disease earlier this week after medical staff discovered tumors in his throat. The growths were detected early and Michael is expected to make a full recovery. He has said he is “very optimistic” about his outlook and may begin treatment as early as this week in New York, including eight weeks of intensive radiation and chemotherapy. Doctors hope they will not have to conduct any surgery on the larynx – which may affect Michael’s ability to speak. A partial or complete laryngectomy could change the sound of the star’s voice or leave him unable to talk at all. Dr. Kenneth Hu, co-director of the Head And Neck Institute at Beth Israel Medical Centre in New York, believes smoking caused the cancer but he remains confident the actor can be treated successfully. “I think the fact that he’s getting radiation means it’s curable. It tells you that it’s probably an intermediate stage cancer,” Hu said.