Get yourself regularly checked
Translation from Dutch:
After breast surgery, she now warns other women Get checked regularly!
During her visit to the Netherlands, where she participated in the TROS program “On Land, At Sea And In The Air” in Volendam, OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN didn’t yet know what was in store for her. She enjoyed her short stay in our country.
The 43-year-old singer has since undergone surgery for breast cancer, and her condition is uncertain. Yet, Olivia is optimistic. She clings to a silver lining: her tumor was diagnosed at an early stage and removed immediately. This could be vital, confirms Privé’s gynecologist, Professor Dr. T.K.A.B. Eskes.
By Ans Vermeulen. Photos by Nies Van Riel et al.
A shock went through the pop world when Olivia Newton-John (43) suddenly had to cancel her comeback tour. During breast cancer surgery, a large part of her right breast was removed.
Her husband, dancer Matt Lattanzi, and daughter Chloe were with her at Cedar Sinai Hospital. Olivia is now back home. “My mommy was very sick, but now she’s better,” Chloe said.
But in fact, Olivia’s condition is uncertain. She had hoped not to have to undergo chemotherapy. But the doctors consider it too risky. They are afraid that there are still cancer cells present in her body. Therefore, Olivia is now undergoing chemotherapy, which will make her quite ill. However, the important thing is that the rapid intervention has a good chance of halting the disease.
Olivia recently appeared on the TROS television program Te land, ter zee en in de lucht (On Land, at Sea and in the Air), where she performed her new single “I Need Love.”
Olivia, who saw her clothing businesses go bankrupt, has resumed her singing career. But just as she was about to embark on a promotional tour in the United States, doctors discovered a malignant tumor in her right breast. Olivia underwent checkups every six months, and she may owe her life to them. A large part of her right breast was removed, and plastic surgery was performed to restore its shape. The singer is holding up well, but she has a message for all women: “Just like me, get checked regularly!”
Olivia is bankrupt.
She and her husband, 11 years younger than her, would have loved to have more children after the now six-year-old Chloe, but Olivia suffered two miscarriages.
After a meteoric rise in the 1970s and the smash hit Grease in the early 1980s, in which she starred opposite John Travolta, she turned her back on the spotlight. She founded a chain of fashion boutiques, Koala Blue. But business wasn’t going well. She recently had to close her boutiques.
“Those stores were my insurance,” Olivia explained, “I wanted something different because you can’t keep performing your whole life.”
Yet, she had to start singing again. Her new album, Back to Basics, has just been released, and her American tour was scheduled to begin on August 6th. The concerts have been canceled.
She is one of the well-known American women affected by the disease who want to make it less frightening. This included former U.S. President Betty Ford, who spoke openly about her mastectomy; NANCY REAGAN, whose breast surgery became world news; and actress Jill Ireland, who shared her feelings of hope and despair with her audience for years. She wrote a book about her battle with breast cancer, which she ultimately lost. But many women have learned from her courage and optimism.
Olivia can indeed count herself lucky that she caught it early, agrees Privé’s panel physician, Prof. Dr. T.K.A.B. Eskes. He says: “In the Netherlands, it has been shown that women who participate in a so-called screening program” have a 50% lower mortality rate. These screening programs are aimed at detecting breast cancer at an early stage. In the Netherlands, an average of 3,000 women die from breast cancer each year. Approximately 1 in 10 women is diagnosed with breast cancer. That’s a very high number. Self-examination is important.
Women are therefore well-advised to regularly examine their breasts themselves. Any general practitioner can teach a woman how to do this. If screening programs are available in certain regions, by all means participate. Such an examination involves a mammogram, an X-ray that examines very small tumors can be made visible. Otherwise, request a regular breast examination yourself, through your GP. This should be done every 2 to 3 years, but women in the so-called risk groups are better off having it done annually.
What are the risk groups?
Professor Eskes: “Breast cancer in the family, especially in the mother or sisters, is an increased risk factor. Childless women who have had long menstrual periods — those who started early and stopped late — are at extra risk. They were exposed to the hormonal effects of the ovaries every month. The exact cause of breast cancer is unknown, but it is certain that female hormones (including estrogen) are involved. Overweight women are at extra risk, as fat tissue also produces estrogen.”
“Women over 50. This age group accounts for approximately 50% of all breast cancers. There are indications that environmental factors such as pollution and diet are related to the development of cancer. A healthy and varied diet, for example, is recommended by the Dutch Cancer Society to reduce the risk of cancer. “
“That’s always good for everyone, of course,” says Dr. Eskes. “But it’s not proven. With cancer, and breast cancer in particular, there’s a lot we have to guess about. What is certain is that the sooner you catch it, the greater the chance of controlling the disease”.
That’s also what Olivia Newton John urges all women from her sickbed: “If it strikes you, you better catch it quickly.” She is now facing a frightening time. “But,” she said as she entered the hospital, “I draw courage from all those women who have overcome breast cancer, and there are millions of them”.
Screening programs are mainly carried out among women between the ages of 50 and 70. The GP will usually be able to tell you whether such a program is running in a particular region. The Dutch Cancer Society, Sofialaan 8, 1075 BR Amsterdam, provides information about breast cancer and will send brochures on request. Information line (free) 060226622
Photo captions: Olivia Newton John, pictured here with her daughter Chloe, has no intention of keeping her illness a secret. She shares her feelings to help other women.
Olivia Newton John enjoyed her short visit to the Netherlands just before the bad news. In Volendam, she performed "On Land, at Sea, and in the Air."
Olivia Newton John enjoys a herring, in the traditional way.
Olivia Newton John hoped to make a comeback with her new album, "Back to Basics." But her concert tour was abruptly canceled when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.