A leading sexual health doctor has questioned  Michael Douglas' claim that his throat cancer was caused by oral sex.

Dr Michael Brady, medical director of sexual  health charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said while oral sex could have  contributed to the cancer, it was very difficult to pinpoint a single  cause.

The Hollywood actor recently  claimed that  his throat cancer was caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), a sexually  transmitted disease that he contacted after performing oral sex on  women.

But Dr Brady pointed out that Mr Douglas had  been a smoker and a drinker - two factors that he said are the most common  causes of oral cancer.

Opening up: Michael Douglas, pictured on the Graham  Norton Show last week, has spoken about the causes of his throat  cancer

Dr  Brady said: 'There are often a number of  factors, genetic,  environmental, viral, that could be playing a role.' 

The star, who fought a six-month  battle  with the disease from August 2010 until January 2011, had initially  believed  that it was his years of smoking and drinking that had lead to  the  illness.

However, in a new interview the 68-year-old  said that the particular strain he had suffered with was caused by human  papilloma virus (HPV), the most common sexually  transmitted disease in the US.

Douglas made the frank admission about how he  developed the illness during an interview with The  Guardian newspaper when he was asked if he had regretted smoking and drinking in  the past.

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