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.
