When the media reports on cancer in celebrities, do we really get the whole truth?

Notable supermodel Elle Macpherson revealed in an interview with Australian Women’s Weekly earlier this week she said she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago.

Media reports around the world report that Macpherson he rejected several “conventional” treatments for the type of breast cancer she uncovered, known as HER2-positive, estrogen-receptive intraductal breast cancer.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen how powerful celebrity cancer stories can influence the public health narrative. Sometimes, these celebrity stories change cancer screening and treatment.

For example, after singer Kylie Minogue announced in 2005 that she had breast cancer, there was an unprecedented the growth of mammography reservations.

Actress Angelina Jolie’s column in New York Times in 2013 about her preventive double mastectomy for breast cancer, which may have happened inadvertently fueled by excessive testing among women who are not at high risk.

And when the actor Ben Stiller announced in 2016 that a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test he underwent in his slow 40s saved his life, which was contrary to international screening guidelinesIt is recommended that men under 55 years of age do not undergo PSA testing as prostate cancer can often be overdiagnosed.

Should we be concerned about the latest news?

Organisations such as Breast Cancer Network Australia have made public statementsfearing that Macpherson’s comments could encourage an approach to the treatment of invasive breast cancer that includes the apply of unsupported evidence-based “health” products and interventions.

But media coverage of Macpherson’s situation largely omits a key piece of information: her breast cancer is not invasive.

The type she revealed is commonly known as ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS. This is a cluster of cells from pre-invasive or non-invasive breast cancer. It differs from invasive breast cancer in that the lesions are circumscribed and have not spread. This means that treatment for invasive and non-invasive breast cancer differ.

In fact, Macpherson appears to be following recommended cancer treatments. She underwent surgery, a lumpectomy, to remove DCIS. Guidelines recommends that patients weigh the possible benefits and risks of additional treatments, which Macpherson said her doctor has offered: mastectomy surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. Together with their treatment team, each patient can decide whether any of these additional treatments are right for their individual situation.

Research is ongoing to determine who is most likely to benefit from these additional treatments and who may not need them at all. So Macpherson’s decision to decline additional treatments may have been both a sensible and conventional decision for a woman with noninvasive breast cancer.

The lack of media coverage is also a missed opportunity to discuss less invasive treatments for DCIS.

Rate DCIS has increased significantly since the introduction of breast cancer screening. They can be detected on mammograms but rarely cause symptoms. Many of these changes are unlikely to ever cause a problem in a woman’s life. As a result, some cases of DCIS are considered to be overdiagnosed.

Currently, approaches such as busy surveillance (close monitoring without treatment until disease progresses) are considered reasonable and are being thoroughly evaluated in research studies to facilitate reduce overtreatment.

We need to be wary of simplistic narratives about celebrity cancer journeys that don’t necessarily tell the whole story. This should also include skepticism about the “feel good” narrative because it can lead to non-evidence-based treatments that waste consumers’ money and may harm them.

We all need to become better at being suitably skeptical about health information without losing confidence in proven medical interventions.

I’m worried about my breast cancer. What should I do?

A diagnosis of breast cancer can trigger a flood of emotions and expose a woman to many doubts, including the effectiveness of treatment, its potential side effects and long-term effects.

Women can consult their doctor questions about possible management options, including:

• What are my options? One of those options may be to choose less treatment, including an busy surveillance approach for low-risk DCIS

• What are the possible benefits and harms of these options?

• What is the probability that each of these benefits and harms will happen to me?

The Conversation contacted Elle Macpherson’s spokesperson for details about her diagnosis and treatment, but did not receive a response before publication.