(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Michael Douglas says being diagnosed with cancer has shown him what love really means.

The actor announced he was battling throat cancer earlier this year, after doctors found a walnut-sized tumour under his tongue. The 66-year-old underwent intensive radiation and chemotherapy, and he remains optimistic about his diagnosis.

Michael and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones recently celebrated their ten-year wedding anniversary and the pair are more in love than ever. Catherine and the couples two children - ten-year-old Dylan Michael and seven-year-old Carys - have been a constant source of support during Michaels treatment and he feels lucky to have such a close family.

The actor has also revealed his cancer diagnosis has brought him closer to his father, Kirk Douglas.

"Cancer has shown me what family is, it showed me a love that I never knew really existed," Michael told The Hollywood Reporter.

The star showed his appreciation for Catherine and his children last week by taking them to some Florida theme parks to celebrate Thanksgiving. It has also been reported Michael and Catherine are planning to renew their wedding vows on New Years Eve.

Michael insists he remains optimistic about love and marriage despite his bitter battle with his ex-wife Diandra Luker, who divorced him in 2000.

While the actor was undergoing treatment for his cancer earlier this year, Diandra filed a lawsuit in which she claimed she was entitled to some of his earnings from Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, the sequel to the movie he starred in when he was still married to Diandra. The case was later dismissed and Michael has revealed he is relieved he has moved on and found a more stable relationship.

"I try not to dwell on a bad marriage," he explained. "I learned a saying: 'I wish I got out earlier.'" (C) Cover Media