Actor Olivia Newton-John Reveals 3rd Cancer Diagnosis

[Grammy23]

6. I remember years ago after her first diagnosis with breast cancer (two years after mine)

I saw a headline in People magazine declaring her cancer free and stating she had beaten the cancer. It had been about one or two years post diagnosis, as I recall. I was skeptical because it is very difficult to say anyone is “cancer free”. The more accurate way to say that is that “there is no clinical sign of cancer.” It does not mean you ARE cancer free. It means that with the technology available you do not show evidence of disease. An oncology nurse explained it to me this way. Cancer cells in a tumor have to have reached a certain amount of mass in order to be detected on modern imaging methods. Very small tumors may be hidden or missed.

Around that same time my surgeon told me that breast cancer can recur many, many years later. He indicated he had women who had a recurrence of their breast cancer 25 years later. So he indicated one should not get complacent about mammograms and paying attention to your body even if it has been a very long time since the initial diagnosis. So much for the adage that if you get past five years you are home free. (At least with breast cancer.)

I feel so bad for Newton-John because a third recurrence is very serious, especially since it has shown up in her spine. I know with her resources she has the means to get the very best and latest treatments. I wish her the best and hope her cancer responds to treatment!