He didn’t speak about it publicly for 7 years. Elle MacPherson, one of the most celebrated supermodels of the 80s, preferred to keep her breast cancer diagnosis to herself. She opened up for the first time only a few days ago, in an interview with the ‘Australian Women’s Weekly’ during which she anticipated some of the themes she addresses in her upcoming memoir, ‘Elle’, and also recounted a detail of her cancer journey, which immediately bounced around the media all over the world: the Australian actress and model, now 60, nicknamed The Body, refused chemotherapy, and says she preferred to remain faithful to her beliefs that led her to choose an unusual path to treat her cancer.
Rejecting traditional medicine, she says she has opted for a holistic approach, we read in the article dedicated to ‘The Body’ (as the supermodel was nicknamed during the height of her popularity).
Macpherson says he is now in remission. The diagnosis bursts into her life on a Friday the 13th: estrogen-receptive Her2-positive intraductal carcinoma, the results of the tests after the lumpectomy (a breast-conserving surgery procedure to remove a lump). “It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was disconcerting, it was discouraging in a lot of ways and it really gave me the opportunity to dig deep into my inner self to find a solution that worked for me,” she says. And deciding on her treatment plan, she says, sent her into a tailspin. The actress sought the opinions of 32 doctors and experts. The doctors recommended a mastectomy with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and breast reconstruction. But she, after weeks of meditation, prayer and reflection, chose not to undergo chemotherapy.
Macpherson, who also previously dated former British doctor Andrew Wakefield, still celebrated today by anti-vaxxers and known for having supported the thesis – later refuted by subsequent studies – of a link between autism and the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, explains that he rented a house in Phoenix, Arizona, for eight months, where he “treated himself holistically” for his cancer under the guidance of his GP, a naturopathic doctor, a holistic dentist, an osteopath, a chiropractor and two therapists.
“Saying no to standard medical solutions was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she admits.. “But saying no to my inner sense would have been even more difficult,” she explains, assuring that she is now in a situation of “absolute well-being”. Her approach, she says, has provoked mixed reactions within her family, her sons Flynn, 26, and Cy, 21, and her ex-partner Arpad ‘Arki’ Busson.
The model’s words did not go unnoticed even at the public level. On this topic Cancer Research UK specifies – as reported by ‘The Guardian’ – that there is no scientific or medical evidence that alternative therapies can cure cancer and that some patients use complementary therapies in addition to conventional medical treatments, or alternative therapies in place of conventional medical treatments. Examples of complementary therapies include aromatherapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage therapy, visualization, and yoga. Some complementary therapies can help people feel better, but can cause side effects, while some alternative therapies can be harmful and cause side effects, as well as interfere with conventional cancer treatments.
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