Treatment for Melanoma Skin Cancer: Jon’s Journey & Medical Options

Jon’s Journey with Melanoma Treatment

Finding the right treatment for melanoma skin cancer can be challenging. Jon’s personal story shows how modern treatments like immunotherapy have changed lives. After his melanoma returned in a lymph node, Jon received nivolumab (Opdivo) for one year. His experience highlights the real impact of current melanoma treatment options.

Jon faced the typical anxieties that come with cancer diagnosis—worry during biopsy waiting times, stress around staging scans, and having to cancel his marathon plans. Following surgery to remove the melanoma in his groin lymph node, Jon began immunotherapy treatment.

What makes Jon’s story so compelling is how he managed to protect his children from disruption while undergoing treatment for melanoma skin cancer. He experienced no side effects from nivolumab and believes he could have worked throughout his treatment period.

Living Through Melanoma: A Patient’s Perspective

Jon shares powerful strategies for coping with cancer-related anxiety, including what many patients call “scanxiety”—the overwhelming worry that builds around scan result appointments. Throughout his treatment for melanoma skin cancer, Jon kept setting personal goals, giving himself milestones to work towards.

Today, Jon has returned to a full life. He works full-time and has even completed marathons to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. His journey from diagnosis through treatment to recovery offers hope to others facing similar challenges.

Dr James Wilson, cancer specialist, provides expert commentary alongside Jon’s story. Dr Wilson explains how immunotherapy side effects differ completely from traditional chemotherapy and addresses common misconceptions about treatment. He emphasises that outcomes for people with metastatic melanoma are better than ever, with immunotherapy revolutionising treatment for melanoma skin cancer.

Understanding Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment

Melanoma skin cancer responds well to treatment, especially when caught early. Your treatment plan will depend on:

• Where the cancer is located
• If it has spread to other parts of your body
• Your general health condition

Surgery remains the main treatment for melanoma skin cancer, with radiotherapy, targeted medicines and chemotherapy used in certain cases. Your specialist care team will create a personalised treatment plan and discuss all options with you.

Surgery for Melanoma

Surgery is the primary treatment for melanoma skin cancer, particularly in early stages. Surgical options include:

• Removing the melanoma and surrounding healthy skin to prevent recurrence
• Removing swollen lymph glands if cancer has spread to them
• Surgery for melanoma that has spread to other body areas

For visible areas like the face, a plastic surgeon may perform the procedure to achieve the best cosmetic result. Larger removals may require skin grafts from another part of your body.

Radiation treatment for melanoma skin cancer

Doctors sometimes use radiotherapy to control melanoma that has spread and reduce symptoms. Treatment may involve single or multiple sessions, depending on the affected area and whether you’re receiving other treatments for melanoma skin cancer.

Stereotactic Radiotherapy for Oligometastatic Melanoma

When melanoma spreads from its original site, it can form metastases in various parts of the body. Common sites include the lungs, liver, brain, bones, lymph nodes, skin, and adrenal glands. Oligometastatic disease refers to a limited number of metastases (typically fewer than five).

Stereotactic radiotherapy—also known as SABR (Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy) or SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy)—offers a precise treatment option for melanoma that has spread. This advanced form of treatment for melanoma skin cancer delivers high-dose radiation with pinpoint accuracy to metastatic sites.

The treatment works by targeting each metastasis with intense, focused radiation beams from multiple angles. This precision helps protect surrounding healthy tissue while delivering a powerful dose to eradicate the melanoma metastases.

SABR/SBRT for melanoma has shown impressive results, with the potential to completely eliminate individual metastases. This treatment can be particularly valuable for patients with limited metastatic disease or when surgery isn’t possible. It often requires fewer treatment sessions than conventional radiotherapy.

Immunotherapy: A Revolutionary Approach

Immunotherapy represents one of the most promising advances in treatment for melanoma skin cancer. These treatments help your immune system recognise and attack cancer cells more effectively.

Your immune system naturally works to protect your body from infections and abnormal cells, including cancer. However, in melanoma patients, the immune system often sees the cancer but doesn’t recognise it as dangerous. Immunotherapy helps correct this problem.

Types of Immunotherapy treatment for melanoma skin cancer

Different immunotherapy approaches work in different ways:

Checkpoint Inhibitors: These drugs, including nivolumab (Opdivo), pembrolizumab (Keytruda), and ipilimumab (Yervoy), activate white blood cells to attack cancer cells. They’re given as intravenous infusions at a day unit. Jon received nivolumab for one year following his surgery.

Virus Therapy: T-VEC (Imlygic) uses a specially designed virus injected directly into melanoma lesions in the skin or lymph nodes. The virus infects cancer cells and helps your immune system find and destroy them.

When Is Immunotherapy Used?

You may receive immunotherapy for melanoma skin cancer:

• Before surgery (neoadjuvant treatment) to improve the likelihood of treatment success
• After surgery to reduce the risk of cancer returning (adjuvant treatment)
• To slow growth and extend life when melanoma cannot be surgically removed or has spread

Side Effects of Immunotherapy

Common side effects of immunotherapy may include:

• Fatigue
• Skin changes or rashes
• Diarrhoea
• Shortness of breath

While other side effects can occur, most are manageable with proper medical support. These may affect the gut, liver, hormone glands, or other organs. The good news is that your healthcare team is experienced in managing these effects, and many patients tolerate treatment well. Remember that Jon experienced no side effects, and many patients have a similar positive experience.

Your doctor will carefully monitor you throughout treatment and provide clear guidance on what to watch for. Always report any new or unusual symptoms promptly. With proper care, the benefits of immunotherapy for melanoma skin cancer often far outweigh the risks.

Targeted Medicines

Targeted medicines aim to stop cancer growth by targeting specific genetic changes in melanoma cells. Doctors usually test a sample of your melanoma to determine if targeted therapy might work for you.

Chemotherapy

While less commonly used than other options, chemotherapy still plays a role in treating advanced melanoma skin cancer. It’s typically considered when targeted medicines and immunotherapy aren’t suitable.

Living with Advanced Melanoma

If you’ve been diagnosed with advanced melanoma that cannot be cured, treatment focuses on limiting the cancer, controlling symptoms, and helping you live longer. Your doctor will work with you to manage symptoms and set the priorities for your treatment that most matter to you.

Finding Support

Throughout your treatment for melanoma skin cancer, regular check-ups and tests will monitor your progress. Never hesitate to contact your healthcare team about any symptoms or concerns between appointments.

As Jon’s story demonstrates, many people continue to lead full lives during and after treatment for melanoma skin cancer. Setting goals, finding support, and working closely with your healthcare team can help you navigate this challenging journey.