Olivia Newton-John, who has been living with breast cancer off and on since 1992, shares that she’s come to a new point in her relationship with the disease: She’s asking it to leave.
“I‘ve never seen cancer as a fight or a battle,” Newton-John, 71, told the Daily Stock Dish. “In fact, over the decades I‘ve kind of befriended it — and right now I‘m asking it to leave. Because instead of picking a fight with my body, I would rather keep calm and thank it for everything it has done for me.”
Newton-John, who said this might “sound strange to someone who isn‘t in my position,” has approached her cancer with a graciousness and positivity that many other survivors find inspiring. And her attitude is a testament to the way that cancer can become a chronic disease rather than a terminal illness.
Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. At the time, she received nine months of chemotherapy and a breast removal surgery, called a mastectomy.
While her cancer entered remission, in 2013 her doctors discovered that it had metastasized (spread) beyond her breasts. She overcame the cancer again, but in 2017, her doctors discovered a tumor in her sacrum, the bone at the bottom of the spine—another cancer metastasis.
SurvivorNet spoke with Newton-John in August and she told us that although her cancer had metastasized to her bones, she’s doing well. “I’m mobile, I’m feeling strong, I’ve put on some weight.” she said. “Everything’s good.”
Newton-John with her second husband, John Easterling. (Image source: People).
Part of the reason for Newton-John’s condition, she shared with SurvivorNet, is that she’s found a treatment regimen that seems to be working well for her.
The treatment involves a mixture of conventional cancer treatment (for Newton-John, this is a hormone therapy) and complementary herbal medicine. Her husband of 11 years, John Easterling, the founder and Chairman of Amazon Herb Company, makes her tinctures (liquid extracts) out of the cannabis that he grows. Newton-John also shared that she’s been taking natural supplements, including turkey tail (an antioxidant-rich mushroom extract), Graviola supplements (derived from a plant believed to have medicinal properties), vitamin B17, and high doses of vitamin C, which she says she’s been getting through an Amazonian fruit called Camu Camu.
Newton-John in front of the Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons, where her famous items — including her leather “Grease” pants — will be on display until November. (Image credit: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland)
Experts tell SurvivorNet that while alternative therapies can be helpful during cancer, they should never stand in the place of doctor-recommended treatment. Instead, these supplements should be taken in combination with conventional cancer treatment—and only after a doctor agrees it’s a good idea.
Importantly, Newton-John shared that she’s been doing exactly that—pairing these natural herbs and supplements with her conventional breast cancer treatment in a complementary approach called “integrative medicine.” Right now, the star said she’s receiving hormone therapy for her breast cancer, and in the past, she’s undergone radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy.
Olivia Newton-John in front of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia. (Image credit: Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre/ Facebook).
Olivia Newton-John, who has been living with breast cancer off and on since 1992, shares that she’s come to a new point in her relationship with the disease: She’s asking it to leave.
“I‘ve never seen cancer as a fight or a battle,” Newton-John, 71, told the Daily Stock Dish. “In fact, over the decades I‘ve kind of befriended it — and right now I‘m asking it to leave. Because instead of picking a fight with my body, I would rather keep calm and thank it for everything it has done for me.”
Newton-John, who said this might “sound strange to someone who isn‘t in my position,” has approached her cancer with a graciousness and positivity that many other survivors find inspiring. And her attitude is a testament to the way that cancer can become a chronic disease rather than a terminal illness.
Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. At the time, she received nine months of chemotherapy and a breast removal surgery, called a mastectomy.
While her cancer entered remission, in 2013 her doctors discovered that it had metastasized (spread) beyond her breasts. She overcame the cancer again, but in 2017, her doctors discovered a tumor in her sacrum, the bone at the bottom of the spine—another cancer metastasis.
SurvivorNet spoke with Newton-John in August and she told us that although her cancer had metastasized to her bones, she’s doing well. “I’m mobile, I’m feeling strong, I’ve put on some weight.” she said. “Everything’s good.”
Newton-John with her second husband, John Easterling. (Image source: People).
Part of the reason for Newton-John’s condition, she shared with SurvivorNet, is that she’s found a treatment regimen that seems to be working well for her.
The treatment involves a mixture of conventional cancer treatment (for Newton-John, this is a hormone therapy) and complementary herbal medicine. Her husband of 11 years, John Easterling, the founder and Chairman of Amazon Herb Company, makes her tinctures (liquid extracts) out of the cannabis that he grows. Newton-John also shared that she’s been taking natural supplements, including turkey tail (an antioxidant-rich mushroom extract), Graviola supplements (derived from a plant believed to have medicinal properties), vitamin B17, and high doses of vitamin C, which she says she’s been getting through an Amazonian fruit called Camu Camu.
Newton-John in front of the Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons, where her famous items — including her leather “Grease” pants — will be on display until November. (Image credit: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland)
Experts tell SurvivorNet that while alternative therapies can be helpful during cancer, they should never stand in the place of doctor-recommended treatment. Instead, these supplements should be taken in combination with conventional cancer treatment—and only after a doctor agrees it’s a good idea.
Importantly, Newton-John shared that she’s been doing exactly that—pairing these natural herbs and supplements with her conventional breast cancer treatment in a complementary approach called “integrative medicine.” Right now, the star said she’s receiving hormone therapy for her breast cancer, and in the past, she’s undergone radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy.
Olivia Newton-John in front of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia. (Image credit: Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre/ Facebook).
