Elle Macpherson chose to treat her cancer ‘holistically’. It was the reason her marriage ended.

In 2024, the interest in holistic health and natural remedies has exploded. With it has come a sinister side to the movement.

Take controversial figures like Belle Gibson, for example. The disgraced wellness blogger and convicted fraudster who faked her cancer diagnosis.

Watch: 60 Minutes 'The Whole Hoax' with Belle Gibson. Post continues below.

There's also the tragic story of Jessica Ainscough, the Australian blogger and former online editor of Dolly magazine — dubbed the original "wellness warrior" — who passed away at the age of 30 after deciding to cure herself without traditional cancer treatment.

With a massive following, Jess was hugely influential in her beliefs and advocated for 'natural' cancer treatment.

Holding the power to influence and leverage a massive following of people — particularly sick people — the tension and confusion between traditional medicine and holistic wellbeing is one that still continues today.

More recently, Elle Macpherson has revealed she's a breast cancer survivor, a diagnosis she kept secret for seven years, as well as detailing her alternative approach to treatment and the impact it had on her marriage.

Elle Macpherson claims her marriage ended because of her 'holistic' cancer treatment.

In her recent memoir, Elle: Life, Lessons and Learning to Trust Yourself, Macpherson got candid about her 2017 divorce from Jeffrey Soffer, which came after her cancer diagnosis. According to the model, her decision to refuse chemotherapy and pursue alternative treatments played a key role in the demise of her marriage.

After being dianogised with breast cancer, Macpherson turned down chemotherapy from 32 doctors. The decision, she said, greatly impacted her marriage.

"My diagnosis of breast cancer, followed by my final choice of Dr C's holistic approach to recovery… was not one that Jeff could trust or feel at ease about," she wrote.

"And really this process was the straw that broke the camel's back… it opened up the floodgates and everything changed," she added. "Our marriage was over and we both knew it."

Elle Macpherson's alternative breast cancer treatment.

Speaking in an interview with Australian Women's Weekly, the 60-year-old said: "It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in so many ways."

After undergoing a lumpectomy, her surgeons told her she had a type of breast cancer called HER2 positive estrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma. Macpherson said she was then advised to undergo breast cancer treatment, including a mastectomy.

In her memoir, she described how she rejected the advice of her doctors and decided to go an alternative route. Instead, she opted for "an intuitive, heart-led, holistic approach" to treating her cancer under the guidance of a doctor who specialises in integrative medicine.

In her book, titled Elle, she said: "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."

"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 sense would have been even harder."

Image Getty.

"Sometimes an authentic choice from the heart makes no sense to others… but it doesn't have to. 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. It was time for deep, inner reflection. And that took courage."

"Learn to slow down and get very quiet and very still and feel what truly resonates with you without the outer distractions of everybody else's opinions," she said in the interview. "It's about using your heart as a compass in life."

When it comes to her current health, Macpherson shared: "In traditional terms, they'd say I'm in clinical remission, but I would say I'm in utter wellness. And I am!" she said. "Truly, from every perspective, every blood test, every scan, every imaging test… but also emotionally, spiritually and mentally — not only physically. It's not only what your blood tests say, it's how and why you are living your life on all levels."

The interview has since gone on to raise important questions about the validity of alternative therapies for cancer treatment and their role in replacing traditional medicine — particularly when taking into account different types of breast cancer.

Mamamia asked Professor Frances Boyle, a Medical Oncologist at the University of Sydney, to explain the medical effectiveness of alternative cancer therapies, and whether this may put Elle Macpheron's life (and others) at risk. Professor Boyle has been involved in Breast Cancer Trials research in DCIS (the type of breast cancer Macpherson was diagnosed with) over the past 25 years.

She told us, "I am aware that Elle was diagnosed with Stage 0 (zero) breast cancer, best described as 'pre-cancer' or non-invasive cancer, or DCIS. She had two small operations hoping to clear it, and as they were worried about the 'margins' not being clear. They offered her either a mastectomy (with reconstruction) or radiotherapy. Tablets to block hormones would also have been offered to protect the remaining breast tissue."

As Professor Boyle explained, there are some pretty crucial points that have been ignored in the reporting surrounding Macpherson's diagnosis. In fact, chemotherapy and targeted anticancer drugs are not commonly used with this type of cancer, as it is a marker of increased risk and does not spread. "It cannot kill you unless it comes back in an invasive form (Stage 1 or more) in the future."

"Breast Cancer of any kind comes as a shock, and for many women, it provides a stimulus to re-evaluate some of their lifestyle and priorities. We would hope that any woman would receive the psychosocial care she needs to make the best decisions and stay well."

Sharing her insights on holistic cancer treatment, Professor Boyle said, "We would not recommend leaving DCIS in the breast without additional treatment, though. There are no alternative therapies that can prevent future DCIS or breast cancer that have been proven."

Meaning? When it comes to treatment, conventional treatment is the only proven solution when it comes to improving cancer outcomes and can't be replaced. While DCIS may present a low immediate risk, Professor Boyle shared that if Macpherson has a good life expectancy ahead of her, “it may come back to be a problem in the future."

"The more invasive treatment of chemo would not be appropriate, but she may have been concerned about body image impacts of surgery or hormone-blocking therapies," explained Professor Boyle.

What to know about breast cancer holistic treatment options.

So then, with the explosion of 'wellness' content and holistic and 'natural' remedies, where do alternative therapies/medicines stand when it comes to approaching cancer treatment? What are the benefits of holistic health in cancer recovery?

"We have evidence that exercise, a good diet, weight management, reducing alcohol and managing distress help recovery from breast cancer. Increasingly, hospitals offer support to manage these concerns through their Wellbeing or Wellness Centres, and that is a safe way to get good advice."

"There is also evidence that hormone-blocking treatments reduce breast cancer risk in those with a family gene, and we are testing other prevention therapies in those women currently."

However, when it comes to the effectiveness of breast cancer holistic treatment options, Professor Boyle shared, "Natural remedies are not an effective treatment for breast cancer and are potentially very dangerous if they delay standard treatment."

Again, when comparing alternative cancer treatments versus conventional methods, experts say the only proven and effective method for breast cancer treatment is traditional medicine.

Has Elle Macpherson addressed her claims?

In a recent interview on Today, Macpherson addressed her controversial breast cancer treatment claims. She said, "I'm really pleased that it has sparked conversation and discussion because with discussion comes awareness and comes growth.""I sought a lot of medical advice, and the bottom line was every doctor had a different opinion... there was no clear path and there were no guarantees either way. So I just made a decision on all the information that I gathered.""I'm not giving advice to other people," she continued. "It was an honest chapter and it's one of 18 chapters. The book is so much more than that chapter that illustrates how to make a decision. We have these decisions all the time when we're fearful.""I had medical treatment. I did a lot of research and I spoke to a lot of doctors. It's interesting — the whole protocol of how to treat breast cancer changes from country to country. The book isn't about cancer."

How important is deciding the right course of breast cancer treatment?

As Professor Boyle said, diagnosis of DCIS is not classified as a 'medical emergency', and there is time to consult experts and get good advice on options for treatment. "It sounds like Elle did that. No doubt she had reasons for her decisions," she said.

"Being able to stay under surveillance in the standard medical system is also critical for women who choose not to undertake recommended therapies, and no one should be made to feel they have been sidelined by the decisions they make at a time of stress, or if the recommended treatments cause them difficult side effects. It's even more important to get support from the treatment team in that situation."

With this in mind, it's worth noting the incredible influence of Elle Macpherson and the impact the idea of taking the 'natural' route to cancer treatment can have on people who have also been diagnosed with cancer.

"It could be very confusing, and I would be worried that other women might not understand the difference between DCIS and invasive cancer," said Professor Boyle.

Ultimately, while Macpherson has noble intentions (and importantly, has also noted in her interview that she's not trying to spruik medical advice), you can only hope it doesn't lead any patients dealing with more invasive cancer diagnoses down the route of potentially harmful alt-med 'cures'.

On the flip side, Macpherson has also opened up a fresh conversation about breast cancer and the prevalence and risk factors of lesser-known conditions such as DCIS.

"Any woman needing help with decision-making should reach out to their breast cancer team, including McGrath nurses," said Professor Boyle. "If Elle can get breast cancer anyone can, so please encourage regular attendance for screening at Breast Screen after 50, and earlier if other risk factors."

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This article was originally published in September 2024 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature image: Instagram/@ellemacpherson.