Supermodel Elle Macpherson has recently disclosed her private struggle with breast cancer, a battle she has kept hidden until now.
At 60, Elle shared that she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago but made the controversial decision to reject conventional medical treatments, including chemotherapy, despite the advice of 32 doctors.
Instead, she chose a more holistic approach, and she now claims to be in remission.
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Elle’s upcoming memoir, Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself, reveals the emotional journey she endured after being diagnosed with HER2 positive estrogen-receptive intraductal carcinoma, a form of breast cancer that typically requires aggressive treatment.
Initially, doctors recommended a comprehensive treatment plan involving surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and breast reconstruction.
However, Elle, who founded the wellness brand WelleCo, opted out of these traditional treatments, believing they were too extreme for her condition.
In a candid interview with Women’s Weekly, Elle recounted how she turned to prayer and meditation while spending time on a beach in Miami, a decision that eventually led her to refuse pharmaceutical treatments.
She later relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, for eight months, where she immersed herself in alternative healing methods under the guidance of a team that included a naturopathic doctor, holistic dentist, osteopath, chiropractor, and two therapists.
Elle described this period as a time of intense focus on her healing, dedicating every moment to her health.
Choosing to forgo standard medical advice was, according to Elle, the most challenging decision she has ever made. Despite the difficulty, she felt that going against her instincts would have been even more painful.
Her determination to follow her path, despite the potential risks, reflects her belief that chemotherapy and surgery were unnecessary for her case. Now, she refers to her current state as “complete wellness” rather than using the term “remission.”
Elle acknowledged that her decision was met with mixed reactions from her loved ones. Her youngest son, Cy, fully supported her choice, while her older son, Flynn, had reservations.
Despite his concerns, Flynn stood by his mother, even if he did not entirely agree with her approach.
Her ex-partner, Arpad Busson, with whom she shares a complicated history, also expressed his pride in her courage, despite disagreeing with her methods.
The NHS stresses the importance of personalized treatment plans for breast cancer, which usually include a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, along with hormone or targeted therapies, depending on the cancer type and stage. These treatments are designed to work together for the best possible outcomes, and the agency notes that alternative therapies lack scientific evidence to support their effectiveness in curing cancer.
Elle’s journey with cancer isn’t her first health scare. In 2013, she found a lump in her breast on her 49th birthday, which turned out to be benign.
That experience, however, served as a wake-up call for her to reassess her health practices, leading her to explore alternative health and wellness approaches more deeply.
While Elle’s story might inspire some, experts caution against the risks of relying solely on alternative therapies for cancer. Organizations like Cancer Research UK emphasize that while complementary therapies can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life, they should not replace conventional treatments. The concern is that alternative therapies often lack scientific backing, and in some cases, they may even pose risks to patients.
