In September 2011 I set off for what I thought would be a quick one-off trip to the local hospital to have a ‘slightly dodgy’ mole checked and possibly removed.

Unfortunately, it turned out not to be as simple as that. The mole was malignant. It was removed and later I had a wider excision where more tissue was removed.

I thought that was it and I was all clear. In fact I was told there was a 95-98% chance that this was the end and that I would stay in remission.

However in September 2012 a lump appeared under my left armpit during a routine check. The cancer was back and I needed all the lymph nodes in my left armpit removed. 

This meant I had stage 3 Malignant Melanoma. There was a 50% chance it would progress and by January scans confirmed it had spread to both my lungs and is now stage 4.

Regular chemo and radiotherapy have been shown to have limited success at this stage so I am now in a research trial with one of the most promising developments for melanoma.

You just need to google Malignant Melanoma to see that it’s a nasty, nasty cancer – it’s always followed by the phrase: this most aggressive form of skin cancer.

It’s not always caused by sun-bed use (I’ve never been on one) and certainly doesn’t just strike those who are sun-worshippers (again, I’m a red head and fair skinned – I’ve always been wary of the sun). There is no pattern to how it progresses.  

It’s the second most common cancer in young adults but can strike at any age. But sadly many of the more traditional treatments for cancer don’t work. Most of the treatments available for those who are at stage 4 are essentially palliative. Yet a number of breakthroughs in new drugs and a greater understanding of the disease mean this is beginning to change. More money for more research is urgently needed. 

So this is why I am doing race for life.  Please, if you can, do donate to this extremely worthy cause.

Thanks,

Steph x