Elle Macpherson flashes huge smile as she seen for first time after secret cancer battle and decision to refuse chemo
ELLE Macpherson flashed a beaming smile as she arrived at an airport in Australia hours after her secret cancer battle came to light.
This week, we reported how the supermodel had shunned chemotherapy in favour of “an intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach” to treating her breast cancer – in a move not advised by UK medics.
Mum of two Elle, 60, was seen looking relaxed as she touched down in Sydney with pals.
She donned a white top and designer jeans emblazoned with a black crucifix, covering up in a dark blazer jacket.
The Aussie flashed a smile as she disembarked the aircraft before heading to the terminal where she picked up a huge silver suitcase and leopard-print bag.
Recently, Elle told how she refused chemotherapy for her diagnosis of breast cancer seven years ago – despite the advice of 32 different experts.
The runway queen told how after a lumpectomy seven years ago, she was diagnosed with “HER2 positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma” and doctors suggested a mastectomy with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, plus reconstruction of her breast.
She has now claimed to be in remission.
In her upcoming memoir, Life, Lessons, and Learning to Trust Yourself, she told that the detection came as a “shock” and left her “confused”.
However, Elle chose to forgo conventional medical treatments.
Instead, she hired out a house in Arizona where, under the guidance of “her primary doctor, a doctor of naturopathy, holistic dentist, osteopath, chiropractor and two therapists”, she said she spent her days “focusing and devoting every single minute to healing myself.”
Charity Cancer Research UK has told how natural therapies can assist with the symptoms of cancer, but have not been proven as a cure.
Their website states: “There is no scientific evidence to prove that any type of alternative therapy can help to control or cure cancer.
“Some alternative therapies might be unsafe and can cause harmful side effects.”
Elle also told Women’s Weekly that she spent time praying and meditating on a Miami beach, ultimately deciding against pharmaceutical treatments.
She admitted that rejecting standard medical advice was “the hardest thing” she’s ever done, but that ignoring her own instincts would have been even more difficult.
What are the signs of breast cancer?
BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK.
The majority of women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer.
If it’s treated early enough, breast cancer can be prevented from spreading to other parts of the body.
Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue.
Most breast lumps aren’t cancerous, but it’s always best to have them checked by your doctor. You should also speak to your GP if you notice any of the following:
- a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts
- discharge from either of your nipples (which may be streaked with blood)
- a lump or swelling in either of your armpits
- dimpling on the skin of your breasts
- a rash on or around your nipple
- a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast
Source: NHS
At the time, her disgraced anti-vaccine ex husband Andrew Wakefield did not agree with her decision, but wrote her a letter of support.
Meanwhile, her approach of self-care has been brutally branded as “twaddle.”
The NHS, meanwhile, advises that breast cancer treatment is personalised, based on the type and stage of cancer and the patient’s health.
Main treatments include surgery to remove the cancer, radiotherapy to destroy remaining cells, and chemotherapy to shrink the tumour or prevent its return.
Hormone therapy may be used for hormone-sensitive cancers, and targeted therapies like trastuzumab are available for specific cases.
The NHS highlights that combining these treatments often leads to better outcomes.
Elle previously experienced a cancer scare in 2013 when she found a lump in her breast on her 49th birthday.
This led her to re-look at her life and particularly her diet, vitamins and minerals.