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Ani’s Story

Chilliwack, British Columbia

I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma when I was 32 years old. When the first tumor was found, my cancer had already metastasized and the primary location was unknown. I had surgery in 2016 to remove the mass, and unfortunately was left with close margins that required radiation.
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Soon after, I had scans which showed that the cancer had spread to my liver and lymph nodes and I was treated with Pembrolizumab. Over the next two years I received 25 cycles of Pembrolizumab, had multiple surgeries and more targeted radiation to treat a number of new lesions which presented in my lungs and subcutaneous tissue throughout my body. I suffered mainly from the side effects of the treatments, however was able to resume a relatively normal quality of life through most of this period. I responded to this treatment and eventually had a full response, resulting in a period with no evidence of disease!

Although it was short lived, it was so encouraging to have responded to immunotherapy and I have been optimistic about the advances in melanoma treatment and my chances of survival. My cancer returned months later in 2019 and I was treated with four doses of combination treatment Ipilimumab plus Nivolumab, followed by Nivolumab alone. I had a number of surgeries over the next year and showed some signs of response to treatment. Eventually, my disease progressed and I started my search for alternatives to the approved standard of care. I am currently one year into a clinical trial at Princess Margaret Cancer Center.

I was connected to Save Your Skin Foundation when I was looking into clinical trial options. I had no idea at that time that Kathy and her team at SYSF would become such an important part of my story. Not only has SYSF made the travel to receive treatment possible, but they have become part of my support system. I cannot be more grateful for this organization and the people behind the scenes who make it possible.

 

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Martin’s Story

West Vancouver, British Columbia

Signs of a brain tumour are easy to ignore. I hate to admit it, but I said that all I needed was a neck massage and new glasses to deal with three weeks of left sided foot drop and numbness and a week or so of stumbling. It was the stumbling that made my wife insist I call my family doctor. My doctor listened to my symptoms on a phone appointment and I had a brain CT three days later. She is so smart; of course, when I described the symptoms to my doctor, it clicked that the ”having to lift one’s foot” is actually “foot drop,” and the odd sensation in the foot is “numbness.” There is a definite progression from an “odd feeling” to a “symptom.”
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At the CT, I had an inkling something was wrong by the way the radiologist did not come to say hello after the procedure. Usually, we do a doctor-to-doctor debrief to let colleagues know it is all OK, unless it isn’t. My family doctor came to my home the next day to break the bad news in person. Sitting there in the sunshine with the grandkids playing in the yard listening to her tell me I had a brain tumour was quite the moment.  She left me with some Dexamethasone and Ativan as the mass in the brain was big. It took just four days to get an organic diagnosis. Four days later, I had a CT of my chest and abdomen which found eight other masses. That told us that I was riddled with cancer. Not a good day. Later, we would find another metastasis in my eye when the immunotherapy caused a rare papillitis.
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I had a chest biopsy 14 days after the Brain CT and stage 4 melanoma diagnosed within days. There was another instance of that doctor-to-doctor thing: the one who stabbed me (very skillfully) said, as I was recovering from the day surgery, that the tumour looked black and he thought it was melanoma, which was confirmed a day or so later. So, within three weeks of calling my family doctor, I had a pathological diagnosis. I saw my oncologist two weeks later; this was the first glimmer of hope in a bleak month.
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There was some back and forth about the brain tumour and I had a distressing visit with a neurosurgeon who showed me the MRI. It looked like a lot of the right side of my brain was swollen and the tumour looked big and deep. Surgery would leave me in a wheelchair. The alternative was provided by the neuro-radio-oncologist: she said I could be treated with the “gamma-knife” which is accurate down to one millimetre, though it would not necessarily cure the brain tumour as it might not get all of it. I realised that talking about cure was overly optimistic and I should go for being able to walk for as long as I can.
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Next, the tumour board met, and I got my therapeutic diagnosis seven weeks after presenting to the family doctor. I was going to be treated with gamma knife for the brain tumour and then receive dual immunotherapy. I did also get a liquid biopsy, as my research is in genetics, and I have a friend who does this (though it was done by a different group to keep things straight). Interestingly, a BRAF mutation was seen that was not in the lung biopsy. I had my gamma knife stereotactic radiotherapy 9 weeks after diagnosis, then began to receive the dual immunotherapy just 12 weeks after my first appointment, with a further 25 medical appointments/scans/biopsy/bloods etc. during that time. Three months after starting immunotherapy, the tumours were shrinking and the glimmers of hope became a lot brighter.
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Of all of these procedures, the chest biopsy was the most dangerous – the largest of the chest lesions was really deep, so seven inches of steel was put into my chest. This would have been fine, as I was totally numb with local anesthetic, but because I am a doc they kindly let me watch it on the screen. Oh look, there is a huge sword deep in my chest right next to some major blood vessels! I better not move. Definitely a birthday to forget!

 

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Patient Reported Experience Measures: 2022 Highlights!

In 2022, Save Your Skin Foundation ran three major patient surveys in order to collect patient-reported experience measure data (PREMs): 

  • “The Patient Experience: Systemic Treatment of Adult Cutaneous Melanoma” (April/May)
  •  “The Patient Experience: Treatment of Patients with Ocular Melanoma” (April/May)
  • “Patient Survey: Treatment Plan Decision-Making” (September/October)

Long-form reporting of the data for “The Patient Experience: Treatment of Patients with Ocular Melanoma” and “Patient Survey: Treatment Plan Decision-Making” are available on the Save Your Skin website. “Treatment Plan Decision-Making” was available in both English and French, and was developed in partnership with AIM at Melanoma. The following blog highlights some particularly notable outcomes from these surveys; we hope you find something of interest to you!

 

Highlights from “The Patient Experience: Systemic Treatment of Adult Cutaneous Melanoma”
  • When asked if they would consider it reasonable to receive additional treatments should their melanoma recur at a later stage, 78.26% directly indicated that they would be interested in additional treatments (Q12).
  • When asked specifically about their experiences on Pembrolizumab (Keytruda™), 73.68% reported enduring fatigue as a side effect, followed in frequency of votes by skin rashes (36.84%) and cognitive impairment (26.32%) (Q17). 61.11% found these side effects manageable (Q18).
  • 95.45% of participants indicated that the side effects resulting from this therapy were worth it for the benefits of the treatment (Q19).
  • When asked if they would consider receiving drug therapy from a clinical trial, 77.27% responded that they would, should the need arise. Of the 22.73% that responded “not sure,” several added comments indicating that they would consider it, but would need more information (Q22).

 

Highlights from “The Patient Experience: Treatment of Patients with Ocular Melanoma”
  • 63.63% of our ocular melanoma survey participant pool who have not received genetic testing would like to, suggesting that many patients see this as a worthwhile process (Question 11).
  • Unsurprisingly, eye-related side effects are the most common for patients with ocular melanoma. These include loss of vision (64.51% of responses), eye pain (16.12%), cataracts (9.67%), flashes of light in the eyes (12.9%), dry eyes (3.22%), macular edema (3.22%), and retinopathy (3.22%) (Q16).
  • 82.35% of participants have ongoing follow up appointments/testing every 3-6 months (Q20).
  • 79.31% of responses suggested that if their disease were to progress in the future, they would be interested in receiving additional treatments (Q21).
  • 64.71% of survey participants indicated that if they were offered enrolment in a clinical trial, they would take it (Q24).
  • The most frequently cited side effects by participants receiving KIMMTRAK ® (tebentafusp-tebn) for their ocular melanoma were fatigue and skin rashes (both selected by 50% of participants) (Q28).
  • 100% of patients who received KIMMTRAK ® (tebentafusp-tebn) noted that the side effects of this treatment were worth enduring for the survival benefit (Q30)
  • The most frequently cited barrier to accessing KIMMTRAK ® (tebentafusp-tebn) was having to travel to another city, which was both an inconvenience and a financial hardship (Q31).

 

Highlights from “Patient Survey: Treatment Plan Decision-Making” English language survey
  • When asked what was the most important topic to discuss with their healthcare team at the time of diagnosis out of the following options: “care plan,” “prognosis,” “treatment timeline,” “quality of life,” and “financial considerations,” survey participants selected “prognosis” as their primary concern, followed by “treatment timeline” and then “care plan.” That “quality of life” and “financial considerations” are the lowest priorities suggests that patients care about survival above all else (Q7).
  • Questions nine and ten demonstrated that patients are creating a treatment plan with their healthcare team along their ideal timeline, which is either at the time of diagnosis or between their first and third appointments.
  • The majority of survey participants (76.56%) stated that they understood at least “most” of the cancer-related information provided to them (Q12); however, 32.82% expressed dissatisfaction with the amount and quality of the information they received (Q21).
  • When asked what resource they most frequently turn to for cancer-related information (other than their healthcare team), the internet was cited by 82.54% of participants (Q13)
  • Questions 15 and 16 illustrated that 73.44% of participants feel they had an appropriate amount of input in developing their treatment plan. 
  • When asked to prioritise the following factors when developing a care plan: “dosing schedule/logistics,” “long-term survival,” “risk of adverse events/side effects,” “financial concerns,” and “lifestyle and family implications,” patients ranked “long-term survival” as their highest priority (Q17).
  • When asked to indicate the two most significant challenges they experienced during treatment, the need for emotional support (60.94%) and the impact of physiological symptoms (45.31%) had the highest number of votes (Q27).

 

Highlights from “Patient Survey: Treatment Plan Decision-Making” French language survey
  • When asked what was the most important topic to discuss with their healthcare team at the time of diagnosis out of the following options: “care plan,” “prognosis,” “treatment timeline,” “quality of life,” and “financial considerations,” survey participants selected “care plan” as their primary concern, followed by “prognosis” and then “quality of life” (Q7).
  • Like the English language cohort, the French language survey participants received care plans along their ideal timeline of either at the time of diagnosis or between the first and third appointments (Q9, 10).
  • In the French language survey, a greater percentage of participants indicated having more responsibility for the development of their care plans. Only 27.27% felt “appropriately involved,” while 63.63% indicated that they made the decision more independently (Q15).
  • When asked to prioritise the following factors when developing a care plan: “dosing schedule/logistics,” “long-term survival,” “risk of adverse events/side effects,” “financial concerns,” and “lifestyle and family implications,” the French language patients also ranked “long-term survival” as their highest priority (Q17).
  • When asked whether they felt prepared for treatment, participants had polarised responses; 63.64% reported feeling “entirely prepared for treatment,” while 27.27% were “mostly unprepared for treatment” (Q24).
  • When asked to indicate the two most significant challenges they experienced during treatment, the French language survey participants voted most frequently for physiological symptoms (54.55%), followed by emotional support and a lack of information, which were tied for votes (36.36% each). This suggests that the need for emotional support is more satisfied for the French language survey participants (Q27).

 

The data from patient reported experience measures, sampled above, is instrumental to our operations as a patient group. We consider these reports when we are prioritizing our initiatives for the new year, preparing our strategic plans for patient support, education, awareness, health policy, and advocacy, and share them with other stakeholders in the cancer space. We hope this information was valuable to you, and that the new year brings you joy, prosperity, and good health.

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Harvey’s Story

Surrey, British Columbia

My name is Harvey; I am a husband, father, and grandfather from British Columbia. Before my diagnosis with melanoma, my wife and I loved to travel and were active in various sports. In November 2016, my wife noticed a pimple on my back. My GP performed a biopsy and determined the mark was melanoma and within a month I had surgery to remove it. The surgery left an 8-inch scar on my back, but I was happy the spot was gone. Five years later I had a cough; I returned to the doctor and received a PET scan that determined the melanoma had metastasized to my right lung. I underwent major surgery in December 2021 and also started immunotherapy at the cancer clinic in Surrey, BC once a month for a series of 13 treatments. I completed these treatments on December 13, 2022. At this point, a subsequent PET scan has also determined that, although the melanoma has not returned in my lungs, there’s evidence that it may have moved into my adrenal glands. I have another PET scan scheduled in March 2023.

Since my lung surgery in December 2021, melanoma has basically become the complete focus of our lives. The mental health aspect of my journey has been overwhelming on both of us, especially the unknown of this terrible disease. Melanoma is a very serious and sneaky cancer, and it’s important for anyone dealing with it to stay very proactive with your oncologist in order to make them aware of any changes while you are fighting it. I share my story only to help anyone dealing with this tricky cancer.

 

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Violetta’s Story

Edmonton, Alberta

In my late teens to early twenties, I was healthy. I was in nursing school, I ate well, and I worked out several times a week. I also tanned between two and five times a week: the tanning salon was next to the gym and I had an unlimited pass. I thought I was invincible, so for at least five years I tanned at this frequency without considering the risks of melanoma or any other skin cancer.

The mole that was identified as melanoma in 2009 was one of many that had been on my body for as long as I could remember, but it was on my upper back so I couldn’t see it easily. It was my mom who noticed that it was growing and changing colour. I was so busy with school that the mole wasn’t a priority, though that changed when a lymph node appeared near by right clavicle. I went to the university clinic, where the doctor thought the lymph node was a cyst and and that the mole was normal. I insisted on a referral to a dermatologist, which I am so glad I did, because I was diagnosed with stage III melanoma. The dermatologist told me that my chances of five-year survival were 50%, which was devastating news at 25 years old.

I started ipilimumab on a clinical trial in 2009 as the alternate standard of care, interferon only extended survival by 1 year.  Between 2010 and 2012, I had a sentinel node biopsy that revealed two positive lymph nodes, a radical neck dissection and removal of lymph nodes.  In 2012, I began having migraines. which were due to a golf-ball sized tumour in my right temporal lobe. I  had brain surgery and 5 months later a round of stereotactic radiation. At this point, my diagnosis was stage iv malignant, metastatic melanoma and I developed epilepsy as a side effect of radiation.I had a delayed response to ipilimumab but even before brain surgery my brain tumor was shrinking.— I  celebrated my 10 year “cancerversary” in June 2022!

In several ways, my story highlights the importance of preventative measures. My melanoma likely developed in direct correlation with my use of tanning beds; I might have caught the mole earlier if I had been doing skin checks. After I was diagnosed, I went back to the tanning salon and told the owner I had been diagnosed with melanoma. His response to me was: “my mom had skin cancer. It’s no big deal. It’s like getting over the flu.” It’s clear that individuals who might be using tanning beds are not being looked after by people in the tanning industry, so I encourage people now to be proud of their natural skin.

 

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Gord’s Story

Edmonton, Alberta

In October 2020, my wife and I were driving home from a Thanksgiving and wedding anniversary trip to Jasper National Park when I felt a pain in my right side.  A week later, the pain persisted, and I saw my doctor for blood work and an ultrasound. This was followed up with a CT scan, which prompted an appointment with my dermatologist and an oncologist in November.  I had already been seeing the dermatologist; in 2014, I had melanoma removed from my shoulder, which had likely developed due to sun burns in my teens and early twenties.

At this appointment, I was told I had stage 4 metastatic melanoma, which had spread to my liver and lungs.  The oncologists discussed immunotherapy treatment with me and it was decided that I would receive ipilimumab + nivolumab. The journey ahead reminded me of the story of David and Goliath— but I knew that with faith, I would stay strong and fight this cancer.

Overall, my first three infusions of the treatment were successful— while I did react to the second dose of treatment, I did not experience other side effects during this period.  However, in December I began to have some facial and swallowing issues, and an MRI discovered that the cancer had also impacted my brain.  I underwent gamma knife surgery which was successful.  However, soon after I began to notice that my near-sighted vision was diminishing, and eventually so did my far-sighted vision, causing me to wear multiple pairs of glasses at a time.  It turns out I was experiencing a rare side effect of immunotherapy, so we paused those treatments.  Into March and April of 2021 my vision wavered and at certain points I was considered legally blind.

In April, I also experienced another pain in my side, much like the first one in October 2020. A CT scan revealed that the tumour in my liver had grown back even larger. At this point they started immunotherapy again, alongside five doses of radiation.  After these five doses, the tumour had thankfully reduced in size again!  My next procedure was in July, when I underwent another gamma knife surgery for a new lesion on the brain.  I then had two eye surgeries in August and September 2021; a consultation with my ophthalmologist had determined that inflammation in my eyes from the immunotherapy had caused my irises to bind to my lenses and also impact my retinas.  These surgeries were successful and I have gained back a large portion of my vision, though unfortunately I am still unable to drive.

At this time (October 2022), I am still continuing immunotherapy treatments. I have stayed positive throughout my cancer journey with no complaints, and I know that with continued faith in God and the love and support of my wife I will continue to fight and win this battle.

 

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Karen’s Story

Guelph, Ontario

Here is a little bit about my Melanoma journey.

In 2018, things changed for me, as I was diagnosed with BRAF stage 3 melanoma skin cancer. At the end of February 2018 I spotted a mole on my right chest, it was black with dry flaking around it.

I went to see the family doctor right away and she referred me to a dermatologist.  When I received the appointment from the dermatologist it was not for six months.  I called immediately to see if I could get in sooner, I got in for early March 2018.

The dermatologist said “I do not think it is cancer but let’s do a biopsy.”  A week later, on March 15, I was in a meeting and my phone rang.  It was the Dr he said, “Karen, sorry, you have melanoma.”  He then proceeded to tell me he made appointments with the surgeon already.  It was a week later.  I do not remember anything at all he was telling me.  My husband asked me questions I could not remember a thing.  I dropped the phone and went into panic mode.  My emotions were running very high and I was pushing my husband away as I wanted to look after everything myself.  The word cancer scares anyone beyond words.

I had two major surgeries, one in March 18 on 2mm mole and 5 lymph nodes, the second at the end of April 2018, which removed 15 more lymph nodes. In the second week of May I saw my oncologist, Dr Rajagopal, who is the only melanoma specialist in Halton and Peel Area. I was shocked to learn that the medication I required was not covered by OHIP (Ontario health insurance plan); it had just been approved by Health Canada in 2017. The drugs were very expensive, at $20,000 per month. I also applied to the Trillium Health Fund, but my employer insurance provider that I had been paying into for 15 years covered 100% of the cost. Otherwise, I would have had to spend my retirement savings on the medication. I was told that without accepting treatment, I would die in 2-3 years. While there were some side effects, such as high fevers and migraines, I knew the benefits would outweigh the costs.

I wanted to prove to myself and to other cancer patients that you can do anything.  Since being diagnosed and throughout my treatment, I did my first 5km run with my husband running beside all the way. Even if you are in treatment, you can still take care of yourself and your body.

I came in contact with Save Your Skin when my company was bought out. I had no benefits with the new company, so the Dr. referred me to them.  This group has been very supportive, a great group and I am glad I am volunteering my time for a great cause.  Kathy and Natalie are very close friends to me outside of the business also. Save Your Skin is a family and we watch out for everyone and help each other.  I have been very involved in Save Your Skin awareness initiatives and am on the board.

If it was not for my support team, my hubby Brad Buckler, and the great team at Save Your Skin, I would have thrown the towel in long time ago.

In December 2020, I had a reoccurrence of the melanoma in my lymphatic track and side of my lung.  They could not do surgery where all the little tumors were.   My doctor and I decided to do immunotherapy. I did my first one January 12, 2021, felt great for up to two weeks.  After that it attacked my muscles and vocal cords etc. I could not walk without a cane; I could not talk. The oncologist referred me to a rheumatoid doctor and I was on steroids for 6 months. I was scheduled to do more treatments, but I said no more. The Oncologist agreed with me. I found a physio therapist that would work with me to get my muscles back after no walking, or talking. In a month I was walking with no cane and lifting my arms, etc.

In November 2021, the Dr said there is no signs of cancer or tumors. We did another CT scan in August and we got the all-clear NED. I am living life to the fullest going to the cottage, hiking, doing things I want to do. I tell other people exercise, eat clean, and drink lots and lots of water to help stay healthy.

 

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Rob’s Story

Whitecourt, Alberta

Hello.  My name is Rob Stauffer.

My melanoma journey began in May 2015 with a skin check of my right ear by my wife and follow up visit to my general physician. The Stage 1B positive test from the shave biopsy resulted in the surgical resection of my right ear, negative sentinel lymph node biopsy and plastic surgery of my ear and cartilage. I felt blessed in that the prognosis looked great and I had no significant cauliflower ear. After my surgery I had my skin checked by a dermatologist quarterly, annually by my general physician, and monthly by myself and my partner. I immediately returned to work and continued to enjoy my passions of being in the mountains hiking and fishing, and travelling in the outdoors with adjustments in sun prevention measures, such as living the five sun safety rules.  Life continued as it had in the past – normal.

In the summer of 2018, I started to experience some minor vision and speech issues which were monitored by my general physician for a few months.  These issues continued and in November I was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma of the brain and lung. I was treated surgically, with a craniotomy and gamma knife, at the University of Alberta Hospital. I then had immunotherapy treatment at the Cross Cancer Institute with Opdivo (nivo) and Yervoy (ipi). The decision to be treated with nivo and ipi saved my life. However, I did have some bad side effects and the treatment was briefly shut down. My immune system was full throttle, and I  was afflicted with hepatitis, pneumonitis, and edema. On the bright side, this meant that my immune system was working. I was able to recover with some steroid treatment which reduced the impact, but still allowed the immunotherapy to address the cancer. I was still working at this point. The immunotherapy program started up again and after a month, I continued with just nivo.  However, a few months later I had some further side effects and my treatment needed to be paused again. I was also ill, so working was impossible.  Since then, I have had no further immunotherapy treatment, but no increase in my tumours. I have since started on another journey of my “re-invention.”  I feel fortunate to have been treated by such wonderful doctors and to be alive. When I reflect back now, I really did not understand the many possibilities available for treating my cancer. I have learned that each person is unique and not everyone takes the same route.

My journey to address some of the secondary effects of my medical treatments continues. As a rural Alberta resident continuing my medical, health, and healing journey, I am interested in participating in support groups to learn other people’s experiences, to assist where possible in improving others’ health outcomes and experiences and to focus on my health, healing and enjoying life.

I am glad to share with you my experience in any way that I can, and to assist you in your journey.

 

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National Cancer Survivors Day

June 7th, 2020 is National Cancer Survivors Day!

         As Melanoma Awareness Month is so closely followed by National Cancer Survivors Day, which takes place on the first Sunday in June, the two occasions feel symbolically connected. May is a month wherein those who have been touched by melanoma, ocular melanoma, or non-melanoma skin cancer take the time to remind themselves and others of the importance of skin cancer prevention and detection, and emotional and financial support for patients. The conversations that we have throughout Melanoma Awareness Month traverse the most early days of diagnosis, through the creation of a healthcare plan, treatment, and survivorship. Therefore, National Cancer Survivors Day– which is June 7th this year– feels like an appropriate, and especially hopeful, way to conclude the journey that we trace throughout Melanoma Awareness Month, from diagnosis to survivorship. Therefore, we would like to bridge Melanoma Awareness Month and National Cancer Survivors Day reminding you to participate in this important occasion!

         National Cancer Survivors Day is a not-for-profit organization that began in the United States, but is beginning to gain a global following. To help spread the word about National Cancer Survivors Day, they have a number of social media graphics that you can share, and many resources for organizing your own National Cancer Survivors Day event. There is also a great list of resources on their website of issues surrounding survivorship, other non-profits, statistics, and news for survivors.

         Melanoma survivor and Save Your Skin Founder and President Kathy Barnard has previously written: “[when I was diagnosed] I realized how big my support network was. I had a lot of family, friends, colleagues and people in the community who were there for me. Together we stand strong. And today, I have new friends that I have created, new people I have tried to help. I want to continue building a community where people living with melanoma are not alone.” This desire to build community has always been at the core of Save Your Skin Foundation. We hope that you will finish off Melanoma Awareness Month by participating in National Cancer Survivors Day, in order to support and honour the cancer survivors in your life.

 

 

 

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Marcel’s Story


Prince George, British Columbia

Marcel’s journey is shared with us by his wife.

Marcel was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma in the fall of 2019, at the age of 40, after having a brain tumour removed. Marcel’s symptoms started with left sided facial and eye paralysis, which was misdiagnosed as Bells Palsy. This error delayed Marcel receiving a correct diagnosis and treatment, which has left Marcel with permanent left sided facial and eye paralysis. Following the removal of a tumour in the fourth ventricle of his brain, Marcel started a combo of immunotherapy within a couple of weeks of his craniotomy. The outlook was grim for Marcel, as the cancer had spread to his lungs, abdomen, and spleen. The doctors gave Marcel little hope, telling him he was in the fight of his life which could end within months if he didn’t respond to the treatment. Marcel had many ups and downs on the immunotherapy; the treatment came with high grade fevers, extreme dermatitis, hepatitis, and pneumonitis. The immunotherapy was discontinued in February of 2020 and Marcel was put on targeted therapy, as his melanoma was BRAF positive. Marcel remains on his targeted therapy treatment to this day, which has been adjusted over time to reduce the side effects for good quality of life. For over two years now, Marcel has been NED (no evidence of disease)! During this time, he has had several surgeries to correct his vision in his left eye and the facial paralysis on the left side of his face. Marcel continues to live a full life with his two teenaged kids and wife. While Marcel has faced many challenges and obstacles with his diagnosis, the support of his family, friends, and the Save your Skin Foundation makes us hopeful and grateful for his future.

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