Her doctor recommended a mastectomy along with radiation, chemotherapy,
Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson, in her newly released memoir, revealed that she was secretly diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and shared why she chose not to follow conventional medical treatments. Ms Macpherson, now 60, wrote that at age 53, she underwent a lumpectomy, which confirmed she had a HER2-positive estrogen receptor intraductal carcinoma.
Her doctor recommended a mastectomy along with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and breast reconstruction.
“It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, and it was daunting in so many ways,” Elle told Women’s Weekly about her diagnosis. “It really gave me an opportunity to dig deep into my inner sense to find a solution that worked for me.”
However, the supermodel decided to reject medical advice and opted for a “holistic approach” to treat her cancer.
“I chose a holistic approach,” she revealed in her upcoming book, simply titled Elle. “Saying no to standard medical solutions was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. But saying no to my own inner sense would have been even harder. Sometimes an authentic choice from the heart makes no sense to others… but it doesn’t have to.”
Macpherson acknowledged that her decision to avoid conventional medicine created tension within her family, revealing that her eldest son was uncomfortable with her rejecting chemotherapy.
Macpherson shares two sons, Flynn, 26, and Cy, 21, with her former partner, French financier Arpad Busson.
“People thought I was crazy, but I knew I had to make a choice that truly resonated with me,” she wrote. “To me, that meant addressing the emotional as well as physical factors associated with breast cancer. Cy simply thought that chemo kills you, and he never wanted me to do it because he thought it was a kiss of death. Flynn, being more conventional, wasn’t comfortable with my choice at all. But he is my son, and he would support me through anything and love me through my choices, even if he didn’t agree with them.”
Ultimately, Macpherson was under the care of several specialists, including her primary doctor, a naturopath, a holistic dentist, an osteopath, a chiropractor, and two therapists.
For her treatment, she moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she rented a house and spent eight months focusing solely on healing herself.
The model, who has publicly advocated for holistic medicine in recent years and owns the wellness brand WelleCo, confirmed that she is now in “clinical remission” from cancer.
“In traditional terms, they’d say I’m in clinical remission, but I would say I’m in utter wellness. And I am!” she wrote. “Truly, from every perspective-every blood test, every scan, every imaging test… but also emotionally, spiritually, and mentally-not just physically. It’s not only what your blood tests say, it’s how and why you are living your life on all levels.”