Elle Macpherson has revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago – but decided not to undergo chemotherapy or traditional medical treatment.
The supermodel, who is now 60, said she wanted to take a holistic approach to treating the disease, but acknowledged this is not right for everyone.
In an interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly, Macpherson said being told she had cancer was “a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in so many ways”.
She chose to keep the illness private and said she researched her options for treatment.
According to the magazine, Macpherson was diagnosed with a type of cancer called HER2 positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma, after having a lumpectomy. The doctor reportedly suggested she should have a mastectomy with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, plus reconstruction of her breast.
However, the Australian star, who has written about her experience in a new self-titled book, said that after deliberating for several weeks – seeking advice from 32 doctors and experts – she chose not to have chemotherapy.
Instead, she said she opted for “an intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach” under the guidance of a primary doctor specialising in integrative medicine, involving a mix of therapies and lifestyle changes.
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Macpherson, who is also the founder of the wellness brand WelleCo, said she is aware this is not the right approach for everyone. “I came to the understanding that there was no sure thing and absolutely no guarantees,” she reportedly says in the book. “There was no ‘right’ way, just the right way for me.”
Turning down medical treatment was the “hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life”, she wrote – but “saying no to my own inner sense would have been even harder”.
The star told the magazine she spent eight months alone at a house in Phoenix, Arizona, under the care of several specialists, “focusing and devoting every single minute to healing myself”.
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Speaking about her current health status, she said that “in traditional terms, they’d say I’m in clinical remission, but I would say I’m in utter wellness”.
She said she did not want to offer “advice to others”, but rather share “what I discovered through my own real experiences”.
Macpherson rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s, appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine’s annual swimsuit issue – something she went on to do a record five times.
The star, who was nicknamed The Body, has two sons with her former partner, Arpad Busson.