MONTREAL — Michael Douglas is giving back to the Montreal hospital that first detected his cancer -- a disease others had missed.

The Oscar-winning actor is headlining a posh fundraiser tonight in Montreal and is also mingling with well-heeled guests a downtown hotel.

He was first diagnosed with throat cancer last summer at Montreal's Jewish General Hospital.

Douglas sought treatment from several physicians for a constantly sore throat, but the illness was detected in Montreal.

To show his gratitude, he offered to help the hospital raise money at the $375-a-head-gala.

Last year, Douglas underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments in the United States for a walnut-sized tumour he now says is gone.

The 66-year-old and his wife, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, own a vacation home near Mont-Tremblant, north of Montreal.