Michael Douglas determined to get out of cancer 'slump'

Michael Douglas sees his cancer battle as a "little slump" he is determined to get out of.

The 65-year-old Oscar winning actor - who was diagnosed with throat cancer last month, and is currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy - is positive about his chances of recovery and views his condition as a blip in an otherwise-successful life.

He said: "This just looks to me like a guy who's had a pretty darn good batting average for a long time, who had a little slump this year and will get out of it."

While Michael's wife, Catherine Zeta Jones, can't bear to watch her husband undergo treatment for his illness, they decided to let their children Dylan, 10 and Carys, seven, go along to the New York medical facility where Michael is undergoing treatment in order to understand it better.

Catherine, 40, explained: "I said, 'So you saw Daddy do his radiation?' and they said, 'Yeah. It was like a computer game. We were allowed to press a button a few times."

Michael added he thought the experience was positive for the children, to relieve their fear of his medical problems.

He told OK! magazine: "They liked seeing all the 'Star Wars' stuff about it. I think it relieved them of the fear of the unknown."

Doctors are "cautiously optimistic" about Michael's recovery and he recently admitted he has an "80 per cent" chance of survival.