Teddi Mellencamp Diagnosed With Stage 4 Cancer After Her Melanoma Spreads
Teddi Mellencamp, who was diagnosed with melanoma earlier this year, has seen her life changed in four months. The former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star's skin cancer had spread to other parts of her body. Mellencamp underwent surgery in February to remove “multiple tumours” from her brain.
At present, the 43-year-old is also undergoing radiation and immunotherapy as part of her treatments.
To showcase the changes in her, Mellencamp shared a throwback photo of how she looked before she got the surgery versus how she looks now on Instagram. In the older picture, she is smiling at the camera while her long blond locks fall to the side of her face. In the more recent picture, she looks away from the camera to show her shaved head.
“What a difference 4 months makes,” she wrote in the caption. “Sometimes I am so focused on ‘being strong’ that I forget I am allowed to be sad, cry it out, and feel very alone. I love my kids, friends, and family so much and am forever grateful to them, but dang today is one of those days.”
She was first diagnosed in 2022
Since her first diagnosis in 2022, Mellencamp has had at least 16 melanomas removed and has shared pictures of the results of her surgeries.
She has also encouraged her fans to wear sunscreen and get regular skin checks to reduce the risk of cancer.
What is melanoma?
Meaning black tumour, melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, which grows quickly and has the ability to spread to any organ. According to doctors, it comes from skin cells known as melanocytes, which produce melanin - the dark pigment that gives skin its colour.
Most melanomas are black or brown in colour, but some are pink, red, purple, or skin-coloured.
Experts say around 30 per cent of melanomas begin in existing mole but the rest start in normal skin. This makes it especially important to pay attention to changes in your skin because the majority of melanomas do not start as moles.
It is very important to know if you are in a high-risk group for developing melanoma because of the fast growth rate; a treatment delay sometimes may mean the difference between life and death. Knowing your risk can help you be extra vigilant in watching changes in your skin and seeking skin examinations since melanomas have a 99 per cent cure rate if caught in the earliest stages.
Signs and symptoms of melanoma
Doctors say melanoma appears as moles, scaly patches, open sores, or raised bumps. A few signs and symptoms using the ABCDE memory device include:
Asymmetry
One half does not match the other half.
Border
The edges are not smooth.
Colour
The colour is mottled and uneven, with shades of brown, black, gray, red, or white.
Diameter
The spot is greater than the tip of a pencil eraser (6.0 mm).
Evolving
The spot is new or changing in size, shape, or colour.
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