Supermodel Elle MacPherson, 60, opens up about cancer battle as star reveals she refused chemotherapy
3 September 2024, 10:28 | Updated: 3 September 2024, 11:34
Supermodel Elle MacPherson has revealed her secret breast cancer battle - with the star admitting she went against the advice of 32 doctors and is now in remission.
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The star has documented the details of her battle in her new memoir, Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself, revealing the health concerns surfaced seven years ago.
As part of the book, the star reveals she went against the advice of 32 doctors - and the wishes of her family - in refusing chemotherapy.
The Australian supermodel instead chose to take a holistic approach, after a lumpectomy revealed she had a HER2 positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma - a type of breast cancer.
Speaking with Women's Weekly, the star admitted "It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing."
"It was daunting in so many ways and it really gave me an opportunity to dig deep in my inner sense to find a solution that worked for me.'
According to the memoir, medical professionals advised the supermodel to undergo a mastectomy, alongside treatment that included radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and a subsequent breast reconstruction.
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However, the star - who was dating disgraced academic and anti-vaxxer Andrew Wakefield at the time - chose to opt for a hollistic approach.
She explained it was "a wonderful exercise in being true to myself, trusting myself and trusting the nature of my body and the course of action that I had chosen."
"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," she said.
She explained that she personally believed chemotherapy and surgery to be too "extreme" for her.
Explaining that "people thought I was crazy", MacPherson
Revealing she rented a house in Phoenix, Arizona, for an eight month period, the star claims to have "holistically treated" her cancer under the guidance of a variety of doctors, including a doctor of naturopathy, holistic dentist, osteopath, chiropractor and two therapists.
The star says days were spent "focusing and devoting every single minute to healing myself".
It comes a British star Dame Esther, who has terminal cancer, continues to push for a change in the law on assisted dying, which is currently illegal in the UK.
The Childline founder hopes the winner chooses to push ahead with a bill on assisted dying.
In a heartfelt plea to the winning MP, she said: "I urge you now to give hope to people like me with a terminal illness. Please give us the confidence of a good death.
