10 September 2018
Newsdesk
Actress/singer Olivia Newton-John has confirmed she has been diagnosed with cancer for a third time.
The Grease icon beat breast cancer over two decades ago, but last year (17), she revealed the disease had returned, forcing her to postpone her An Evening With Olivia Newton-John tour.
She bounced back and returned to the stage, but last month (Aug18), she had to cancel two speaking appearances amid reports suggesting she was sick again.
Her publicist dismissed the rumours at the time, blaming scheduling conflicts for the change of plans, but in a new Australian TV interview, which aired on Sunday (09Sep18), Olivia admitted doctors had discovered a tumour at the base of her spine.
She also confessed she had secretly battled another round of the disease in 2013, when medics found a tumour in her shoulder, but chose not to go public with the news, until now.
"I thought, 'It's my life,' and I just decided to keep it to myself," she told the Sunday Night show.
Olivia has since undergone radiation therapy to treat her latest tumour, while also relying on natural remedies, including medical marijuana grown by her husband John Easterling, to ease her pain.
"I'm still treating it, and I'm treating it naturally and doing really well," she shared.
"I believe I will win over it, and that's my goal," added the defiant star, who turns 70 later this month (Sep18).
The cancer news emerges on the eve of the release of her memoir Don't Stop Believin', in which she opens up about her latest health crisis.
"Cancer is something I will need to stay on top of for the rest of my long life," she writes in the book, according to the Herald Sun. "I truly believe this will be my final round with cancer. I truly believe it will be like last time and I will go on with my life."
She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992.
