Updates on Olivia Newton-John’s Latest Cancer Return

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It’s been 25 years since Olivia Newton-John’s first breast cancer diagnoses, but now it’s returned. Thankfully it’s treatable, but there is still a long journey ahead.

“It’s a very long time from her primary [diagnosis] and that usually means that it’s very treatable, and you can put it into long term remission,” explains Carolyn Runowicz, an oncologist and associate dean at the Herbert Wertheirm College of Medicine at Florida International University, to People magazine. She is not treating Olivia. “It’s never good news to have a recurrent tumor — that’s devastating to the patient. But the further out you are from your initial diagnosis, the better the prognosis.”

According a statement from the singer via Facebook, doctors have diagnoses her with breast cancer that has metastasized to the sacrum, i.e. a bone in the lower back.

“We’re lucky that there’s new drugs being developed and new treatments over time that make a difference, but this is something that 10 years of her life will be about trying to control this,” says Laura Esserman, director of the Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center, to People. “Part of anybody’s treatment should be about how you can handle every day in spite of the situation you find yourself in.”

Read more information at People magazine.