Elle Macpherson has spoken out for the first time about being diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and her decision to forego traditional cancer treatment for a holistic approach. While the 60-year-old admitted it may not be the right choice for everyone, she revealed that she is now in clinical remission.
Macpherson details her battle with cancer in her new self-titled book, due out in November. Elle: Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself. In some sections of the published book Australian Women's WeekShe says she learned her diagnosis after having a lumpectomy reversed. To treat her HER2-positive estrogen-receptor intraductal carcinoma, her doctor recommended radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and eventually a mastectomy with breast reconstruction.
“It was shocking, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in many ways,” Macpherson recalls. “And it gave me the opportunity to go deep into my inner senses and find a solution that worked for me. I realized that I was going to need my own truth, my own belief system to support me through this process. And that's what I did. So it was a great exercise in being honest with myself, trusting myself, and trusting the nature of my body and the course of action that I was choosing.”
After consulting with 32 doctors and medical specialists, Macpherson settled on a holistic, intuitive approach to cancer treatment under the supervision of her primary physician, who specializes in holistic medicine.
“I came to the conclusion that there were no definitives and absolutely no guarantees. There was no 'right' way, only the right way for me,” the Australian model writes in her book. “I chose a holistic approach. Saying no to standard medical solutions was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But saying no to my own inner voice would be even harder.”
“Sometimes a real choice made in the heart may not mean anything to others… but it doesn’t have to,” she continues. “People thought I was crazy, but I knew I had to make a choice that really resonated with me. For me, that meant addressing the emotional and physical factors associated with breast cancer. It was a time of deep, internal reflection. And that took courage.”
But Macpherson admits that his sons, Flynn and Cy, then 19 and 14, were not thrilled with the overall plan.
“Cy thought chemo killed you. And so he never wanted me to do it because he thought it was the kiss of death. Flynn, being more of a traditional guy, was not happy with my choice at all,” she explains. “But he's my son, and he supported me in everything and loved my choices, even when he didn't agree with them. My kids were very supportive in different ways, but I knew they were very scared.”
Their son's father, the financier Arpad Busson, was also skeptical of her plan. “Of course he was afraid because I had decided not to go the traditional drug route,” Macpherson says. “He thought that was extreme. I thought the chemotherapy and surgery route was extreme.”
But despite the risks associated with holistic treatment, Macpherson says she is now healthier than ever.
“In traditional terms, they would say I’m in clinical remission, but I would say I’m totally fine. And I am!” she adds. “Really, from every angle, from every blood test, from every scan, from every imaging test… but also emotionally, spiritually, and mentally—not just physically. It’s not just what your blood tests say, it’s how you live your life and why on every level.”
It is hoped that Macpherson will continue to remain cancer-free.