Olivia Newton-John refuses to "tune in" to how long she might have left to live during her cancer battle.

Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John

The 'Grease' star is battling breast cancer for a third time, but insists it is "better not to have any idea" of a possible life expectancy because she might start to "believe that" will be the end.

She said: "If somebody tells you, you have six months to live, very possibly you will because you believe that.

"So for me, psychologically, it's better not to have any idea of what they expect or what the last person that has what you have lived, so I don't, I don't tune in."

Olivia counts herself "lucky" she is still alive after battling cancer previously, and admits she treats every day as "a gift".

Speaking on '60 Minutes Australia', she added: "I'm so lucky that I've been through this three times and I'm still here.

"We know we're gonna die at some point, and we don't know when it is, when you're given a cancer diagnosis or a scary honest diagnosis, you're suddenly given a possibility of a time limit.

"So, every day is a gift."

Olivia's daughter Chloe Lattanzi - who she shares with ex-husband Matt Lattanzi - checked into rehab to tackle her substance addiction so she could be "happy and bright" around her mother as the actress battles cancer.

She said: "We say we all have our cancers.

"You know, mine is my battle with addiction.

"I have to keep myself sober the rest of my life and that's a fight and it takes work. And we all have our cancers.

"I'm not trying to make her struggle sound small, I'm trying to say, I think it makes it easier to deal with when you go, 'Oh yeah, everyone has a cancer.' "

Olivia - who learned her cancer had returned in 2017, more than two decades after she was first diagnosed - recently insisted she is "thriving", despite her diagnosis.

She said: "I'm doing well. I'm thriving! This is my world."


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