News outlets reported Elle Macpherson beat breast cancer with alternative therapies. Doctors say that’s misleading and potentially dangerous.

Alternative treatments are not backed by science

Macpherson’s holistic treatment involved renting a home in Arizona for eight months, where she was under the care of her primary doctor, who specializes in integrative medicine, an approach that uses both conventional and alternative therapies, as well as naturopath, holistic dentist, osteopath, chiropractor, and two therapists.

She told The Weekly that she devoted “every single minute to healing myself.”

Complementary therapies, such as yoga, therapy, and herbal medicine, are used by some people with cancer alongside medical treatment as they can help them cope with their symptoms better, the charity Cancer Research UK says on its website.

There are many reasons someone might want to try alternative therapies, the charity said, but there is no scientific or medical evidence to show that they can cure cancer. In fact, they might cause harmful side effects or interfere with medical treatment, it said.

Patients are also not informed about the possible risks, survival rates, and side effects as they would be with conventional treatment. “That’s my worry with alternative medicine. People are being told that this will save their life, without being told about any of the side effects,” O’Riordan told The Telegraph.

The modeling agency that represents Macpherson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.