Olivia Newton-John's Cancer Battle
- Aussie actress and singer Olivia Newton-John died of stage four breast cancer on August 8, 2022. And now fans are upset she wasn’t included in the telecasted tribute that played for the 2022 Emmys audience while singer John Legend, 43, performed his new song, “Pieces.”
- Newton-John was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, then in 2013, then in 2017. By the time of her last diagnosis, the cancer had spread to other parts of her body including her sacrum the bone at the bottom of the spine.
- Despite a long journey with the disease, Newton-John always inspired with her positivity and determination to keeping living life to the fullest despite her advanced disease.
- Metastatic, or stage four, breast cancer is technically not curable, but with ongoing advancements in treatments and options to dramatically reduce symptoms, there are many reasons to be hopeful.
Although Newton-John is listed on the Emmys “In Memoriam” page of the award show’s website, she was not included in the telecasted tribute that played for the Emmys audience while singer John Legend, 43, performed his new song, “Pieces.” But loyal fans have been quick to call out the omission.
These In Memoriam people have ONE JOB, and they screw it up every single time! https://t.co/g3GHp1cLvR
Read MorePerez Hilton (@PerezHilton) September 13, 2022 “These In Memoriam people have ONE JOB, and they screw it up every single time!,” Tweeted controversial celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, 44, above a his blog post entitled, “Olivia Newton-John Was Left Out Of The 2022 Emmys In Memoriam Tribute & Fans Are NOT Happy.”One fan (@AKBeauty4) took to Twitter to express their disproval writing, “did they miss Olivia Newton John in the memorial part of the Emmy’s or am I blind.”
did they miss Olivia Newton John in the memorial part of the Emmy’s or am I blind
Alex Kelly (@AKBeauty4) September 13, 2022
Another fan expressed their disgust with a little more emphasis.
“DID THEY REALLY JUST NOT PUT OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN ON THE EMMYS IN MEMORIAM????/!:&:!;!/&:!/!!:!/!:!/'” the user (@ohraditsecho) wrote.
DID THEY REALLY JUST NOT PUT OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN ON THE EMMYS IN MEMORIAM????/!:&:!;!/&:!/!!:!/!:!/’
echo/finnðŸ’uni era (@ohraditsecho) September 13, 2022
Newton-John’s loving fanbase is not likely to let the Grammy and Daytime Emmy winner’s exclusion go without a fuss. And for all that she’s accomplished in her career and all she’s done to inspire the cancer community, SurvivorNet can understand why.
Olivia Newton-John’s Breast Cancer Journey
Olivia Newton-John died of stage four, or metastatic, breast cancer on August 8, 2022. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and underwent chemotherapy and a partial mastectomy the surgical removal of cancerous breast tissue for treatment.
Unfortunately, the cancer returned in 2013, and again in 2017 when it spread to other parts of her body including her sacrum the bone at the bottom of the spine.
Olivia Newton John Shares Her Cancer Journey with SurvivorNet
Cancer metastasis can lead to the weakening and breaking of bones. This happened to be the case for Newton-John whose sacrum broke as a result of her spreading cancer. She then underwent radiation therapy but eventually turned to medical cannabis to help relieve the pain of her broken sacrum.
Understanding How Medical Marijuana Alleviates Pain
"I weaned myself off [prescription pain med] with cannabis, which I think is incredible," Newton-John previously told SurvivorNet. "People should know that, because you're not going to die from cannabis… That was really powerful for me to find out as well. I've continued on a regimen with cannabis ever since."
Understanding Metastatic Breast Cancer
Olivia Newton-John proved that an advanced cancer diagnosis does not require that you stop living. Metastatic breast cancer also called "stage four" breast cancer means that the cancer has spread, or metastasized, beyond the breasts to other parts of the body. It most commonly spreads to the bones, liver and lungs, but it may also spread to the brain or other organs.
When Breast Cancer Spreads to the Bones
And while there is technically no cure for metastatic breast cancer, there is a wide variety of treatment options used to battle the disease including hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drugs, immunotherapy and a combination of various treatments.
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Elizabeth Comen, an oncologist with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, explained how she tries to manage breast cancer when it has progressed to a later stage.
"With advanced disease, the goal of treatment is to keep you as stable as possible, slow the tumor growth and improve your quality of life," she said.
The American Cancer Society reports that there were more than 3.8 million U.S. women with a history of breast cancer alive at the start of 2019. Some of the women were cancer-free, and others still had evidence of the disease, but they also reported that more than 150,000 breast cancer survivors were living with metastatic disease, three-fourths of whom were originally diagnosed with stage I-III.
And with ongoing advancements in treatments and options out there today that can dramatically reduce symptoms, there are many reasons to be hopeful.
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