5. Chemo is boring – take a friend along

“I had eight months of treatment but I was lucky – I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes, but not my hair. It knocks the stuffing out of you, but it’s not permanent. Chemotherapy was an unknown; I had no idea how my body would react and, for me, that was more frightening than surgery. Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. After my first treatment, my friend took me to the movies to take my mind off it and gave me a juice with ginger to stop the nausea. Drugs are much better now and I tell women imagination and fear are usually worse than the reality.”

6. Alternative therapies help

“I’ve never liked putting chemicals in my body, so chemo was a shock that I tried to counteract with holistic therapies and by supporting my immune system. A host of things worked for me; I had massage, homeopathy and acupuncture, and did meditation, where I focused on healing myself. I learnt a lot from Deepak Chopra, who gave me some meditative mantras (try "The Ultimate Happiness Prescription"). I believe an integrative approach to treatment can help overcome cancer.”

7. You won’t forget you had cancer, but you won’t always remember

“I don’t dwell on it. Once a year I have a mammogram and ultrasound and I’d like to try the newer digital breast-imaging screens. I do a monthly exam with a Liv Self-Exam Kit that’s available in America (visit liv.com; amazon.com). It helps you feel any lumps more easily.”

8. Cancer treatment has changed in my lifetime, and it will in yours, too

“Twenty years ago, breast cancer was still the scary ‘Big C’ and women tended to keep their diagnosis secret. It no longer has the stigma it used to, and women I meet don’t think of it as a death sentence. The cure rates are constantly improving, as are the treatments. Trough my work,I visit lots of cancer hospitals and there’s real hope that there will come a time when people don’t have to be treated with chemo. The best thing I can say is, ‘It’s been 20 years and I’m still here!’” 

Bonus Tip: Eat for life 

Olivia Newton-John’s cook book "Livwise" is a collection of healthy recipes, from almond pancakes to watermelon gazpacho, to raise money for her Cancer & Wellness Centre. “I’ve always eaten pretty healthily – my mum made sure of that – but when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I couldn’t get enough vegetables and I went on a macrobiotic diet,” she says. “Switching to a healthy diet doesn’t have to be boring. When I serve up these recipes at home, friends are amazed at how good they taste.” For more information on the Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre, visit oliviaappeal.com