Olivia Newton-John has revealed her breast cancer has returned.
The 68-year-old Grease superstar has ‘reluctantly’ postponed the American and Canadian legs of her album tour, LIV ON, to battle the cancer once again.
Newton-John was first treated for breast cancer in 1992, when she was just 43 years old. At that time, Olivia underwent a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy and breast reconstruction.
However, a statement on her social media on Tuesday confirmed the disease has returned:
The back pain that initially caused her to postpone the first half of her concert tour, has turned out to be breast cancer that has metastasized to the sacrum.
In addition to natural wellness therapies, Olivia will complete a short course of photon radiation therapy and is confident she will be back later in the year, better than ever, to celebrate her shows.
Olivia herself added:
I decided on my direction of therapies after consultation with my doctors and natural therapists and the medical team at my Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
Olivia has initially postponed the first half of the tour after back pain she mistakenly suspected was sciatica left her unable to get out of bed.
The Australian-English singing and dancing star has been touring her album LIV ON, an 11-song collection about overcoming trauma, including her battle with breast cancer and losing her sister Rona to brain cancer in 2013.
Of the album, Olivia said:
As a group, it’s our intention with this album to create songs with a message of compassion and hope.
They are for anyone facing a time of challenge in their life, whether it is grieving a loss or on the journey to health and recovery.
After her well-documented battle in the 90s, she championed breast cancer awareness and in 2008 built the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia.
We wish her a full recovery.
A former emo kid who talks too much about 8Chan meme culture, the Kardashian Klan, and how her smartphone is probably killing her. Francesca is a Cardiff University Journalism Masters grad who has done words for BBC, ELLE, The Debrief, DAZED, an art magazine you’ve never heard of and a feminist zine which never went to print.