The showgirl must go on
Annual article: When Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005, she was forced to cancel the remainder of her Showgirl World Tour. Unbelievably, she made her comeback just last month.
Kilian Murphy, 02 Jan 2007
Kylie Minogue has had to overcome adversity on a number of occasions throughout her career, but never in circumstances as grave as those she found herself in back in May 2005. It was reported on the 15th of that month that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and would be receiving medical treatment for the condition in Melbourne. She was forced to cancel the remainder of her world tour.
The operation to remove a cancerous lump from her breast was declared a complete success, but this was just the beginning of a long road back to recovery.
Minogue maintained a sense of quiet dignity throughout the course of her treatment. She released a statement thanking her fans for their support, and her public appearances were infrequent – though she did make time to visit a children’s cancer ward at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
It was announced in November 2005 that she would continue her aborted Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour in late 2006, but this return to the stage must have felt a million miles away for Minogue, as she continued her chemotherapy treatment.
It was reported early in 2006 that Kylie had completed chemotherapy, and had been declared free of cancerous cells. However, Minogue still required a further six weeks of radiotherapy, so her recovery was not complete.
April 2006 saw more positive developments for Kylie, as the first photographs of the star since her post-cancer recovery emerged.
The pictures were taken by her boyfriend Olivier Martinez in the Italian village of Portofino, and were posted on Minogue’s website, along with a message stating that the star was feeling “relaxed and happy”. Despite her ordeal, the images seemed to brim with optimism; Kylie showcasing a new short-haired look, while beaming contentedly at the camera.
May 2006 marked the one-year anniversary of Kylie’s original diagnosis, but her story had by now taken a much more positive turn. She celebrated her 38th birthday in more relaxed circumstances than the previous year, and even made a return to the recording studio.
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