The showgirl must go on

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.
“I feel good and want to get back into the swing of things,” she stated. “I’m still taking things slowly, but I’ve had a great week in the studio and things couldn’t be any better.”
Things picked up further from there. In July, Kylie made her first TV appearance since her recovery, fighting back tears as she described how the cancer diagnosis was revealed to her.
“The moment my doctors told me, I went silent,” she said. “We all fell to pieces.”
However, in November 2006 she took – arguably – her biggest stride yet, as she returned to the live stage. On November 11th, she resumed her Showgirl World Tour at the Sydney Entertainment Centre – though she's keen to stress that this does not signify a 100% recovery.
“I don’t have strength, I don’t have stamina,” she revealed prior to her live return. “I’ve got a mountain to climb, but I don’t fancy hanging around at the bottom of the mountain.”
For courage and dignity under extreme pressure, Kylie’s was the undoubted Comeback Of The Year – a story that puts this whole pop music business into proper perspective, but also demonstrates how inspirational it can still be.