Elle Macpherson revealed that she secretly battled breast cancer 7 years ago, and said she refused conventional cancer treatment.
The famous model said she opted for an unconventional, holistic form of treatment instead, and her cancer is in remission, according to Australian Women’s Weekly. Macpherson gave fans a raw and candid summary of her cancer story within the pages of her new self-titled book, “Elle,” and dedicated an entire chapter to her cancer journey, titled, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.”
BERLIN, GERMANY – JUNE 18: Elle Macpherson attends Raffaello Summer Day 2024 on June 18, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)
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The famous Australian supermodel wrote an honest account of how stunned she was to discover her cancer diagnosis, and explained her decision to move forward with alternative treatment options.
Macpherson, now 60 years old, admitted she was taken aback by her cancer diagnosis.
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“It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in so many ways,” Macpherson told Australian Women’s Weekly.
The supermodel said doctors discovered she had cancer after she underwent a lumpectomy. Doctors told her it was an HER2 positive estrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma, which is a specific type of breast cancer. She was advised to undergo cancer treatment, including a mastectomy and chemotherapy.
MIAMI, FL – MARCH 13: Elle Macpherson hosts the 2015 Power of the Purse Luncheon to benefit The Women’s Fund on March 13, 2015 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Manny Hernandez/Getty Images)
She noted the diagnosis “gave me an opportunity … to find a solution that worked for me” and she firmly decided to treat the cancer without the use of chemotherapy or pharmaceuticals.
“I realized I was going to need my own truth, my belief system to support me through it. And that’s what I did,” she told Australian Women’s Weekly.
“So, 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.”
Macpherson recognized that her treatment decision was unconventional to many, but said she innately knew this was the best path for herself to take.
PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 04: Elle Macpherson wears a beige lace pattern high neck / long sleeves body, a matching beige pleated midi skirt, black sunglasses, a black shiny leather strappy / multicolored block heels sandals , outside the Dior show, during Paris Fashion Week – Haute Couture Fall Winter 2022 2023, on July 04, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)
“I came to the understanding that there was no sure thing and absolutely no guarantees. There was no ‘right’ way, just the right way for me,” she told Australian Women’s Weekly.
“Saying no to standard medical solutions was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she wrote in her book.
ELLE MACPHERSON Mon Cheri Barbara Day 2012 Munich, Germany December 04, 2012 ��Kurt Krieger (Photo by Kurt Krieger/Corbis via Getty Images)
“People thought I was crazy. But I knew I had to make a choice that truly resonated with me. To me, that meant addressing emotional as well as physical factors associated with breast cancer … and that took courage,” she wrote, according to the outlet.
Macpherseon said she is now in clinical remission.
“I would say I’m in utter wellness. And I am!” she said to Australian Women’s Weekly. (RELATED: James Brown Refused To Undergo Chemotherapy For A Bizarre Reason New Doc Reveals)
“Truly, from every perspective, every blood test, every scan, every imaging test … but also emotionally, spiritually and mentally — not only physically.”
