Olivia's DWTS Appearance
- Actress and breast cancer thriver Olivia Newton-John, 73, appeared on a special Grease-themed episode of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars; she previously appeared as a guest judge on the show in 2015.
- Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992; she is currently living with advanced breast cancer.
- Breast cancer is typically detected via mammogram, which looks for lumps in the breast tissue and signs of cancer.
Aussie actress, singer, and Hollywood icon, Olivia Newton-John, 73, turned up on Dancing with the Stars to the huge delight of competitors and fans. Appearing via a taped message, Olivia brought her trademark positive energy to the night’s episode. Fans at home, sharing their thoughts on Twitter, were loving it, too.
Read More#DWTS, Olivia Newton John, Didi Cohn and Frankie Avalon made a wonderful surprise visit to this evening show. I loved it!
— Diana C. (@DliteTinkerbell) October 19, 2021
It’s pretty great that #dwts got Olivia Newton-John to do the intros. She’s always been a favorite.
— ashlandian.bsky.social (@Ashlandian) October 19, 2021
Y'all couldn't have stopped screaming while Olivia Newton-John was speaking? #DWTS #GreaseNight
— miss em ♡ (@missezramay) October 19, 2021
OMG OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN #dwts pic.twitter.com/dM1vgS0hY4
— jules (@BerstenKnope) October 19, 2021
Her 1978 Grease costars Frankie Avalon and Didi Conn also appeared for the themed episode full of Grease fan-favorite songs, including Beauty School Dropout, Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee (Reprise), and of course, beloved favorite: Summer Nights. And the song-infused, dance-heavy intro had everyone hooked from the start.
Arguably one of the best numbers from last night’s show was Melanie C. dancing to Olivia Newton-John’s iconic closing scene from Grease, “You’re the One that I Want.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JOaGb_4-nk
Olivia previously appeared as a guest judge on the show in 2015.
Olivia’s Cancer Journey
Olivia Newton-John currently has advanced-stage breast cancer (stage 4). She's admirably shared her cancer journey with the public and used her voice to raise awareness around the disease and research for treating it.
Related: When Should You Consider a Mastectomy?
The Aussie singer was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. To treat her cancer, she had chemotherapy and a partial mastectomy (surgical removal of cancerous breast tissue). In 2017, Newton-John's cancer returned and it had spread to other parts of her body, so she had radiation therapy to treat it.
In a previous interview Newton-John tells SurvivorNet, "My dream is to find kinder ways to treat cancer. Because all of you watching, if you've been through chemotherapy, you've been through radiation, there's got to be a way that we can boost the body's immune system without poisoning it."
Screening for Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is typically detected via mammogram, which looks for lumps in the breast tissue and signs of cancer. Women with an average risk of breast cancer, who have no family history of the disease and no incidence of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, should get annual mammograms between the ages of 45 to 54. Women with a higher risk of the disease should begin screening earlier.
In a previous interview, Dr. Connie Lehman, chief of the Breast Imaging Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, emphasizes the importance of screening. She says, "If you haven't gone through menopause yet, I think it's very important that you have a mammogram every year. We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving."
"After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years," says Dr. Lehman. "But what I'm most concerned about is the women who haven't been in for a mammogram for two, three, or four years, those women that have never had a mammogram. We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives."
When Should I Get a Mammogram?
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