Rejecting standard cancer treatment like Elle Macpherson is a big risk

Half of us will develop cancer at some point in our lives, but how many of us are able to consult dozens of doctors and then confidently reject mainstream medical advice?

In a recent interview Australian Women’s Weekly Magazine, Australian Supermodel Elle Macpherson revealed that she did just that, telling the magazine that she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago but refused chemotherapy, opting for “an intuitive, heart-centered, holistic approach” to her treatment.

According to the magazine, McPherson spent weeks considering the decision, after consulting with “32 doctors and specialists.” Ultimately, in February 2017, she decided to pursue non-drug treatments under the guidance of her primary care physician, a specialist in “integrative medicine.”

Happily, McPherson is now in clinical remission—or, as she prefers, “in full recovery.” Without knowing key details about the extent of her cancer, concurrent risk factors and the advice she received, it would be futile to try to assess the risks of her decision to forgo chemotherapy. For example, she did have a lumpectomy—the initial surgery to remove a suspicious mass—but she was not able to get the surgery done. Some doctors say May have been adequately treated.

However, the story has become a trending topic online, sparking anger among a growing number of people who distrust “conventional medicine” and those who seek to defend traditional medicine from attacks.

What is behind this distrust? Some researchers point to the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for “Scientific skepticism” As outbreaks have broken out around the world, debates have raged over the severity of symptoms, the benefits of lockdowns and the safety of vaccinations. So too has the world of “health” online. increasingly In use As a cover for anti-scientific views, even Conspiracy thinking.

For members of black and minority ethnic communities, Distrust of doctors The reluctance to undergo cancer screening, or even treatment, reflects the Decades of failure Working with them and ensuring that many countries provide equal care.

In the UK in particular, confidence in the NHS’s ability to treat cancer has In recent yearsand Report Starting essential cancer treatment was delayed for months.

All of this means that if you’re diagnosed with cancer today, your options may not seem as clear as they did in the past. Add to that the often brutal experience of chemotherapy, and it’s no surprise that McPherson’s story about “non-drug” alternatives has attracted so much attention.

But it’s important to note that McPherson doesn’t fully represent the vast majority of cancer patients. Estimated Net Worth With a fortune of $95 million, she could afford to seek multiple second opinions and then refuse chemotherapy: Her wealth acted as a safety net. WillicoAnd she and Andrew Wakefield, the notorious anti-vaxxer,she 2018 to 2019further complicating McPherson’s story.

For most people, there are real risks in denying health care. A 2017 study It found that cancer patients who chose alternative medicine as their primary treatment had a greater risk of death within five years than those who chose conventional treatment.

A larger study A study of nearly 2 million cancer patients in the United States published the following year found that the use of complementary medicines was associated with the refusal of conventional cancer treatment and a doubling of the risk of death within five years.

Of course, oncologists increasingly Choose to use Reduce chemotherapy, or bypass it altogether Reflecting new treatments and research and realize that targeted, customized responses are most effective.

But for now, at least, the advice from Cancer Research UK and others is clear: there is no scientific or medical evidence that alternative therapies can cure cancer. Against a backdrop of widespread distrust of medicine, Macpherson’s claims – touting positive results without critical context – could sway people down a dangerous path.

Anyone can get cancer at some point, but with the vast resources at their disposal, The Body (as MacPherson was known during the height of her modeling career) always has a better chance than most of beating it, no matter what choice she makes.

Elle Hunt is a freelance writer and journalist.