Michael Douglas Cancer-Free!

Yippee: Mike’s cancer-free!

(Good news calls for a little cheesiness…..)

In his first television interview since undergoing treatment for Stage III throat cancer six months ago, Oscar winner Michael Douglas tells TODAY’s Matt Lauer that he’s beat the deadly disease.

“I feel good, relieved. The tumor is gone. But, you know, 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 tells Lauer in a char that took place Monday and airs on TODAY this Tuesday and on Dateline NBC Jan. 23.

It’s been “a wild six-month ride,” the Wall Street actor adds.

When Douglas, 66, completed chemotheraphy in October. Doctors told him he had a 70 to 80 percent chance of making a full recovery.

“…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. 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. And I’ve talked to other cancer survivors about this, that– that happens, that you just really, really appreciate what’s important in life.”

Michael is preparing to play the title role — alongside Matt Damon — in Steven Soderbergh’s biopic Liberace. And after that refreshing trip to Disney World over the Thanksgiving holiday, the actor says he’s looking forward to taking a trip around the world with his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and their children, Carys, seven, and Dylan, 10.