DR MARTIN SCURR: Yes, alternative cancer therapies like Elle Macpherson’s can really work – sometimes conventional doctors forget that

Has Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson discovered how to successfully treat cancer without chemotherapy and extensive surgery?

At first glance, it would seem so, as in a remarkable tale of recovery, the 60-year-old has revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago. Despite being advised to undergo a mastectomy, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone treatment, she defied the advice of her 32 doctors and opted for a holistic approach, including meditation and naturopathy.

And thanks to this, she says, she is now in remission.

Australian model Elle Macpherson in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in 2022

The cancer she developed after breast-conserving surgery was a form called HER2-positive, meaning the cancer is caused by a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. This form can grow faster, but the chance of survival is high if the cancer has not spread beyond the breast.

In general, it’s not helpful to quote celebrities who have had cancer and rejected orthodox treatment, not least because not everyone can avail themselves of a multitude of complementary or alternative therapists – let alone 32 doctors – or spend eight months in an Arizona house and “focus every minute on healing.” [herself]’, as Elle did.

But what worries me is that Elle will be seen as an example of the way forward in cancer treatment. And yet, even though it’s been seven years since her diagnosis, we would be wrong if we weren’t careful: the story isn’t over yet.

This is not to say that I am against the use of alternative therapies – some of them can work.

In my nearly 50 years of practice as a physician, I have seen many friends and patients take a similar path, but with varying results.

A good friend, a doctor, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia – at that time (this was in 1980) there was no treatment as such, and no donor suitable for a bone marrow transplant, which was the only possible option then. So I called Deepak Chopra – an alternative practitioner and now New Age guru – who was just starting out at the time (hence why I could just call him!).

He advised my friend to meditate, drink clarified ghee and eat only fresh vegetarian food. He also told him to give up sex. My friend did all of this (except the celibacy part) and survived for 18 years, before the leukemia transformed and ended his life within weeks.

Another good friend was diagnosed with a brain tumor and refused radiation therapy, opting instead for the Gerson Therapy (which consists of a strict vegetarian diet and up to five coffee enemas a day), which turned out to be quite cruel.

It wasn’t the coffee enemas, it was the fact that she was only allowed to drink the juice of crushed fruits and vegetables – she wasn’t allowed to drink cold water – and so she was very thirsty. To the end of her life she was miserable and longed for a glass of water. She only lasted a few weeks.

Another patient, a patient with malignant melanoma that had spread to her brain, had multiple lesions “destroyed” with CyberKnife therapy (where beams are fired at the target from multiple directions). But she attributes her survival and good health years later to multiple complementary therapies—and why not?

Because the main point I take away from all of this experience is that you can benefit from both: go all out for the lifestyle options, but also be orthodox – use both horses. A belts and suspenders approach.

In fact, complementary therapy is called “complementary” because it can work alongside orthodox treatments – and no sane, intelligent doctor would ever advise a patient against trying it. Even if the evidence isn’t there: look at the proven benefits of the placebo effect!

(Of course, we need to be careful with treatments that could interfere with mainstream medicine, which is why Cancer Research UK advises talking to a doctor first.)

The holistic approach is useful because it focuses not just on the tumor itself, but on the entire patient. This is something that researchers in mainstream medicine are increasingly looking at these days, particularly the impact of lifestyle on boosting the body’s immune responses to fight cancer and reducing the inflammation that comes with the disease.

This means exercise, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and making careful food choices to improve the microbiome (the community of gut microbes now linked to inflammation and disease). Even activities like tai chi or yoga are supported by evidence.

Elle Macpherson on the beach at 50

For example, a 2020 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that breast cancer patients who exercised regularly were 55 percent less likely to have their disease return and 68 percent less likely to die from any cause.

Separate studies have shown that the state of gut microbes at the start of treatment is “the single most important predictor of how long a patient will survive,” said Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London.

Meanwhile, Professor Robert Thomas, an oncologist at Bedford and Addenbrooke’s Hospitals, has been conducting groundbreaking research into the role of diet and lifestyle in cancer care. He says research shows that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, gut-friendly fibre and probiotics (beneficial bacteria) has major health benefits.

I have seen many patients whose cancer had spread and was eradicated by the usual aggressive treatments, yet these same patients were happy that they were able to survive thanks to their complementary therapist.

What matters is that complementary therapists help patients maintain hope. And sometimes conventional doctors forget that that is important too.

But whether Elle Macpherson has the answers for anyone other than herself, I’m not yet convinced.