( CNN ) -- Actor Michael Douglas says he has beaten throat cancer . `` I think the odds are with the tumor gone and what I know about this particular type of cancer that I 've got it beat , '' he told host Matt Lauer of `` Today '' in an interview to air on NBC Tuesday . `` I have to check out on a monthly basis now to maintain . I guess there 's not a total euphoria . I 'll probably take a couple of months of getting checked out . But it 's been a wild six-month ride , '' Douglas said in his first television interview since undergoing cancer treatment . The experience left him with an appreciation of finite time , he said . `` It 's put a timeline on my life , '' he said . `` I 'm 66 now . You know , I 'm fortunate I 've got a mother who 's 88 -- she 'll kill me -- she may be 87 . My father 's 94 . So , you know , I feel good about those genes . But it 's definitely a third act . And so you 're a little more conscious of your time in how you choose to spend it . '' The radiation treatment has shut down his salivary ducts for at least a year or two , and a dry mouth affects his sleep , he said . He lost 32 pounds during the ordeal , but he has regained 12 by `` eating like a pig , '' he said with a laugh . `` I got another 20 , 25 to go , '' he said about returning to his normal weight . He exercises at a gym , but he avoids cardio workouts because he wants to put on muscle mass , he said . The tabloids and paparazzi have published photographs of an emaciated Douglas as he was undergoing treatment , and while Douglas said he did n't follow the coverage , friends apparently did and called him to see how he was doing , he said . `` They kept saying , 'You sure you 're OK ? ' `` Douglas said . `` Finally , my father , Kirk , he came back to New York . ... He came back for 10 days and came up to the apartment every day to see me because I think that some of these photographs and , you know , who knows if they 're touched up , '' Douglas said . `` I was gaunt , '' he continued . `` So I think he was even concerned . And , yeah , it was not a lot of fun . It 's still not . They 're ( photographers ) there every day . '' The tabloids ' chronicling of his appearance during cancer treatment was `` macabre , '' he said . `` I guess curiosity 's gotten them a lot of coverage -- sort of following it . And there 's so many outlets now these days . I mean , I just feel for all these young kids . I mean , the generations now , with the amount of paparazzi that they have and these video cameras -- you know , you just ca n't do anything , '' Douglas said . `` And I resent the amount of imposition on our children , too , because it used to be at least they would try to keep them out of that , and they do n't at all ( now ) . They were having -- there was sort of a macabre enjoyment out of sort of watching me go down there for a while , I felt , by the paparazzi , '' he said . As cancer put his life in jeopardy , he developed a new regard for family and friends , he said . `` All of a sudden the affection from my family , from my friends , and from my fans hit me at a much deeper level than I would have ever imagined before , '' Douglas said . `` And it gave me a really new appreciation of just how valuable , how precious good friends are and family . And it 's not that I disregard them before but there 's a much deeper feeling . `` I 've talked to other cancer survivors about this ... that you just really , really appreciate what 's important in life , '' he said . Douglas even took his three young children to a couple of his radiation treatments . `` They came into the room and they saw all the Star Wars treatment going around . And they saw them put the mask on your face because they have to kind of bolt you down like Hannibal Lecter or something , '' he said . `` So they can specifically target the correct area , '' Lauer interjected . `` So they can -- exactly , get the area , '' Douglas continued . `` At that age it was good for them . I mean , they thought it was cool , you know , all this space age stuff . So it made up for all those days when dad was lying on the couch and could n't get up . And their patience was really appreciated . And we 've had a big celebration these last couple of days when I found out the tumor 's gone . '' A portion of the interview will air Tuesday on `` Today , '' and the entire interview will air Sunday on `` Dateline NBC '' at 7 p.m . ET .
`` It 's been a wild six-month ride , '' Michael Douglas says . The actor lost 32 pounds from radiation treatment , but he has regained 12 pounds . His weight-gain methods : Building muscle mass , `` eating like a pig '' and drinking lots of water.