Macpherson is now in remission. Photo: FELIX HORHAGER
Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson has revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and is now in remission.
Macpherson, who was known as 'The Body' at the peak of her career in the 1980s and '90s, told the Australian Woman's Weekly in an exclusive interview that she learned of the cancer after having a lump removed in 2017.
The model, who turned 60 earlier this year, has publised a memoir Elle: Life, Lessons and Learning to Trust Yourself, in which she writes about her holistic approach to wellness and deciding not to follow the advice of her doctor.
The Cancer Society of New Zealand is clear that there is no evidence that any type of complimentary or alternative therapy prevents or cures cancer.
They say conventional treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, surgery and hormone treatment are scientifically proven to be safe and effective at treating and controlling cancer.
Complimentary or traditional treatments could be used alongside conventional treatment, but should be discussed with doctors.
Alternative therapies used instead of conventional medicines and treatments can be harmful and may delay or stop the cancer being treated effectively, they say.
In the AWW interview, Macpherson said doctors advised her to undergo a mastectomy with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and reconstruction of her breast.
But the founder of beauty and wellness business WelleCo decided against conventional medicine.
"It was a shock, it was unexpected, it was confusing, it was daunting in so many ways," she told the magazine.
She admits her family - sons Flynn and Cy (aged 19 and 14 at the time) - and their father Arki Busson had a mixed response to her approach. She rented a house in Arizona for eight months where she said she stayed alone under the care of specialists, which she said included a primary doctor, a doctor of naturopathy, an holistic dentist, an osteopath and a chiropractor.
In the book she writes: "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".
Of her health status now, Macpherson told the AWW: "In traditional terms, they'd say I'm in clinical remission, but I would say I'm in utter wellness".
The Cancer Society stresses advice about cancer and its treatment should only be provided by a patient's cancer treatment team, GP or whānau doctor.