Supermodel has cancer Elle Macpherson refuses chemo - against the advice of 32 doctors
Model Elle Macpherson talks about her cancer for the first time and says she is ignoring the advice of 32 doctors. The Australian has decided against chemotherapy - and prefers alternative medicine.
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- Elle Macpherson has had breast cancer for seven years and is currently in remission after opting for alternative medicine instead of traditional treatments.
- Her book "Life, Lessons and Learning to Trust Yourself", which will be published on November 19, 2024, describes her shock after the diagnosis and her journey through alternative therapies.
- Her sons reacted differently to her decision: While her older son Flynn was skeptical, her younger son Cy was supportive of her alternative approach.
Elle Macpherson (60) reveals she has had breast cancer for seven years - she is currently in remission. The Australian model has gone against her doctors' advice and decided not to undergo traditional treatment.
She publishes details from her book, which is available to "The Sun". "Life, Lessons and Learning to Trust Yourself" will be on bookshelves from November 19, 2024. In her memoir, she writes of a shock after the diagnosis that left her "confused".
She first underwent a lumpectomy, in which the tissue affected by cancer is removed from the breast. However, she was then given a further diagnosis: Macpherson has cancer cells in her mammary glands, and her type of cancer is hormone-dependent. In medicine, this is referred to as oestrogen receptor-positive carcinoma - the cancer cells grow with the help of these female sex hormones.
Treatment for this type of cancer involves a mastectomy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy and finally breast reconstruction.
Macpherson opted for alternative medicine
However, Elle Macpherson has completely rejected this recommendation. Instead, the model swears by alternative medicine. These can help alleviate the symptoms of cancer - such as nausea or fatigue - but there is no sufficient evidence of a cure with the help of these treatments.
Alternative therapies include acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnosis and massages.
In an interview about her book, Macpherson said that she spends a lot of time praying and meditating on Miami Beach and has definitely decided against conventional medical treatments.
A son resisted the decision
According to The Sun, she lived for eight months in a house in Phoenix, Arizona, where she received "holistic treatment". She was treated by a doctor of naturopathy, a general practitioner, an osteopath, a chiropractor and two psychotherapists.
Macpherson says she spent "every spare minute concentrating on healing". She found chemotherapy "too extreme" in her situation. She also reports that her sons had mixed feelings about the decision: "My older son Flynn (26) is more traditional, he was uncomfortable with my decision. I still have his support, even if he doesn't agree with my approach."
Cy (21), on the other hand, her younger son, was convinced of his mother's method right from the start.
