Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have come across the news that former supermodel Elle Macpherson declined chemotherapy against her doctor’s advice after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. My news feed has run hot with outcries: “Irresponsible.” “Dangerous influencers.” “Money-grabbing wellness entrepreneur.” I am disturbed by the vitriol spewed at Macpherson not only by some media but by serious health commentators. One thing I know about cancer is that it is incredibly complex and varies for each individual—as do its contributing factors and treatment options.
Throwing the Baby Out with the Bathwater
Breast cancer surgeon Dr. Liz O’Riordan coauthored The Complete Guide to Breast Cancer after having the experience of also becoming a breast cancer patient. Her book is a fantastic source of evidence-based advice for patients navigating the overwhelming warren of information and options after a breast cancer diagnosis. Dr. O'Riordan’s aim is to educate patients about what works and what doesn’t work and to debunk myths. I highly recommend the book; yet, in her quest to protect cancer patients from dangerous influencers, I feel she's pouring the baby out with the bath water with statements like: “Don’t take your advice from the internet!” “Women who opt for alternative over mainstream treatment are six times more likely to die!” “There is no evidence that holistic alternative treatments can cure cancer.” “Chemotherapy saves lives.” “There’s no guarantee that she’s cured."
I applaud Dr. O'Riordan's quest to protect vulnerable cancer patients from quacks who sell them false hopes for big money. But let’s look at the facts behind some of her statements. Macpherson didn’t choose alternative over mainstream treatment; rather, she had a lumpectomy to remove the tumour—one of the recommended treatments.
It's true that there’s no guarantee Macpherson is cured—but that’s true for absolutely every cancer treatment. We all know stories of someone being declared clear of cancer only to be diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer months later. No serious health care provider—whether mainstream, integrative, or alternative—can guarantee a cure. My advice for cancer patients researching alternative treatments would be to treat anyone making promises about healing cancer with extreme scepticism.
Using EFT with Cancer Patients
I’m sure that chemotherapy saves lives; otherwise, oncologists wouldn’t recommend it. What I don’t know precisely is what “saving lives” actually means. My understanding is that “saving lives” is sometimes measured in months rather than years. Isn’t it wise for a patient to weigh up quality of life against a couple more months living with serious side effects? This is a decision every patient must make for themselves. I know from experience, though, how much pressure cancer patients are under to get chemotherapy—from their doctors, their families, and from their own guilty conscience. In addition, one aspect Dr. O'Riordan misses is that it's not always an either/or choice; complementary therapies can help patients who do choose to proceed with chemotherapy to manage the side effects they experience from it.
I have worked with many clients on a variation of “This treatment is going to kill me, but my family wants me to go for it!” I always begin by reminding the client that it is their decision and they have the right to say no. If they choose to go for it, they can still change their mind at any time. Surprisingly, this is not obvious to many cancer patients, who tend to be infantilised by the medical profession.
Once the possibility of choice has sunk in, we begin tapping on the fears associated with chemotherapy and on memories of previous experiences. We practise how to tap for side effects and visualise the drug working in harmony with the body. So far, not one of the clients I have supported in this way has chosen to decline chemotherapy—and I know for a fact that their decisions to undergo treatment have saved lives.
Complementary Therapies Benefit Patients
Dr. O'Riordan's standard argument against complementary therapies is that they’re “not evidence-based.” Huge progress has been made in the past 20 years regarding scientific evidence, but there’s a long way to go. Often, these trials are relatively small-scale, and the outcome is that EFT is “highly effective but we need more studies.” The problem is that no pharmaceutical company is interested in running trials on the efficacy of a complementary therapy. I concur with Dr. Robert Thomas, an oncologist who suggests that the evidence threshold for using complementary therapies in cancer treatment could be lower than for new drugs as long as those therapies are safe and non-invasive.
Dr. O'Riordan's work in cancer education is incredibly important, but statements like those she made following Elle Macpherson’s news are at least partially misleading and do patients a disservice. They harden the fronts between the medical profession and the people who don’t trust that profession. My hope is simply that at some point Dr. O'Riordan will take a more nuanced approach to complementary therapies and appreciate that perhaps together we are stronger.
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Bettina Falkenberg is a London-based practitioner who works with women in difficult situations, teaching them how to find peace and joy through self-love and self-acceptance—including working with cancer patients and the wide range of challenges they face.
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