Dr Miriam urges women not to refuse chemo and calls Elle cancer advice ‘bizarre’

The 60-year-old Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson revealed that she treated breast cancer seven years ago with “heart-led holistic therapy” and refused chemotherapy, despite being advised by 32 doctors.

While self-advocacy is important for cancer patients, the Daily Mirror’s Dr Miriam Stoppard has important advice for women with breast cancer in the wake of the revelations. Dr Miriam is a medical doctor and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and writes a daily page in the Daily Mirror. Here she gives her expert opinion…

While I’m very happy that Elle Macpherson is enjoying good health seven years after having being diagnosed with breast cancer, I would like to sound a word of caution to any woman who has breast cancer from taking Elle’s story too seriously.

She relied on the strength of her own body to overcome the disease with the help of her own doctor, naturopathy, holistic dentist, osteopath, chiropractor and two therapists.

Not only is a team of practitioners such as Elle used beyond the pocket of most women, but also in strictly medical terms, the advice she sought is bizarre.

In the first place, none of the practices that she quotes have been shown to be successful in the treatment of breast cancer, let alone a cure.

My advice to any woman diagnosed with breast cancer is to heed the advice of their doctor and breast cancer specialist who are up-to-date on all the latest developments in the field of treating breast cancer.

That is not to say that all doctors would exclude a holistic approach, to look after the whole of a woman’s body while she is receiving breast cancer treatment.

Doctors would encourage such a woman to seek help from practitioners other than medics to get her through the ordeal of being treated. But that is only after the cancer has been treated by orthodox methods.