Elle Macpherson has opened up about her secret battle with cancer, revealing that she was diagnosed seven years ago but chose not to undergo chemotherapy.
In her new memoir, the 60-year-old Australian supermodel shared that after undergoing a lumpectomy, she was diagnosed with HER2-positive, estrogen receptor intraductal carcinoma.
However, instead of opting for traditional medical treatments, Macpherson decided to take a different path in her fight against breast cancer, going against the advice of 32 doctors.
“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,” she wrote in exclusive excerpt published in the Australian Woman’s Weekly on Monday.
Macpherson revealed that her doctor initially recommended a mastectomy, followed by radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and breast reconstruction to treat her cancer.
However, the supermodel, known for her commitment to holistic health and well-being, chose a different path.
In her memoir, she described how she rejected the advice of 32 doctors.
After meditating on a Miami beach, the runway star decided to pursue an “intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach” under the guidance of her primary doctor, who specialises in integrative medicine—a practice that blends conventional medical care with mind and body therapies.
Macpherson admitted that saying no to traditional pharmaceutical treatment was “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” but felt that ignoring her inner voice would have been even harder.
Despite others thinking she was “crazy,” she stood by a choice that truly resonated with her. Macpherson ultimately placed herself under the care of a team of specialists, including her primary doctor, a naturopath, a holistic dentist, an osteopath, a chiropractor, and two therapists.
For her treatment, Elle relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, where she rented a house and dedicated eight months to "focusing and devoting every single minute to healing" herself.
While Macpherson is now in "clinical remission," her sons, Flynn, 26, and Cy, 21, had mixed reactions to her decision to forgo standard medical treatments.
She wrote: “Cy simply thought that chemo kills you. And so he never wanted me to do it because he thought that was a kiss of death.
“Flynn, being more conventional, wasn’t comfortable with my choice at all. He is my son, though, and would support me through anything and love me through my choices, even if he didn’t agree with them.”Her former partner and father of her children, French hedge fund manager Arki Busson, also expressed his support, despite disagreeing with her approach. He even wrote her a letter, praising her courage, though he acknowledged that he found her decisions "extreme."
The Aussie model also shared that she discussed holistic practices with Olivia Newton-John before the late actress's passing. Newton-John, like Macpherson, used a combination of treatments for her own breast cancer.
After her separation from Arki in 2005, she married hotel heir Jeffrey Soffer in 2013, though they divorced four years later.
More recently, she has been linked to former doctor Andrew Wakefield, who was banned from practicing medicine in the UK in 2010 and later moved to America.
