It's a sad day for Olivia Newton-John's fans! The singer just announced that she will be taking a breather from her promotional activities due to health issues. In a statement released Tuesday, the 68-year-old artist revealed that her breast cancer has returned, and has been causing her to have back pain.
Metastatic Breast Cancer
The singer previously postponed her May concert shows after suffering from the pain of sciatica. Although there were no further details given about Olivia's health condition, her daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, asked the public to pray for her mother's recovery.
After a series of treatments and examinations, it was revealed that the pain Olivia has been experiencing is caused by spreading Cancer cells. Specifically, the singer was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer -- the fourth and final stage of #breast cancer.
This phase means that the cancer cells have spread outside the breast tissue. Although there is no cure for this, metastatic breast cancer can be treated with a 22 percent chance of surviving five years. In Olivia's case, her breast cancer has spread to the sacrum -- the triangular bone in the lower back.
The "Hopelessly Devoted To You" artist, on top of natural wellness therapies, will have to undergo "a short course of photon radiation therapy" which can improve her chances of recovery.
Olivia is also positive that she will be back, and that she will be healthy before the year ends. The singer, however, emphasized that she will not be accepting interview invitations at the moment. She ended her statement by assuring fans that they can request refunds directly from the venues that she was supposed to perform at in June before this latest diagnosis.
A timeline of Olivia's cancer diagnosis
The "Summer Nights" singer was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. After the detection, she was advised to undergo a mastectomy to stop the cancer cells from spreading. Olivia later announced that she was cancer-free following the procedure.
In a previous interview, the artist admitted that being diagnosed with cancer was a terrifying experience for her.
Olivia added that she was in total shock and disbelief after hearing the diagnosis, stating that she feared that the cancer cells would spread to other parts of her body.
The artist thought of keeping the matter private, stating that she was initially afraid people would find out about her health condition. In 2012, Olivia became an advocate for health awareness. The legendary singer also opened her own cancer and wellness center in Australia.
