Life after treatment for melanoma

Adjusting to life after treatment

If you had early melanoma, your main concern after treatment may be how to protect your skin and watch for any new melanomas. If you had a high-risk or advanced melanoma, you may find that the cancer experience doesn’t end on the last day of treatment.

You may have mixed feelings, and worry that every ache and pain means the melanoma is coming back. Some people say that they feel pressure to return to “normal life”. It is important to allow yourself time to adjust to the physical and emotional changes. Your family and friends may also need time to adjust.

Call Cancer Connect on 13 11 20 to connect with other people who have had melanoma, and get information about the emotional and practical aspects of living well after cancer.

Dealing with feelings of sadness

If you have continued feelings of sadness, have trouble getting up in the morning or have lost motivation to do things that previously gave you pleasure, you may be experiencing depression. This is quite common among people who have had cancer. Talk to your GP, because counselling or medication – even for a short time – may help.

Some people can get a Medicare rebate for sessions with a psychologist. Cancer Council may also run a counselling program in your area.

For information about coping with depression and anxiety, call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. For 24-hour crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Follow-up appointments

After you have had one melanoma, you have about 5 times the risk of developing a new melanoma compared with the average person of the same age. It is important to regularly check your skin for any changes, go to your follow-up appointments and take extra care with sun protection. People with advanced melanoma will probably have more frequent follow-up appointments.

At your appointments, your doctor will check the treated area and your lymph nodes. Your doctor will also check the rest of your skin for any new melanomas. You may need to have CT scans or PET–CT scans before follow-up appointments.

You may feel anxious before a follow-up appointment or test. Talk to your treatment team or call Cancer Connect on 13 11 20 if you are finding it hard to manage this anxiety. Between follow-up appointments, let your doctor know immediately of any symptoms or health problems.

What if the melanoma returns?

For people with early melanoma, it will usually not come back (recur) after treatment, although they do have a higher risk of developing a new melanoma. The risk of the treated melanoma returning is higher for people with regional melanoma (stage 3). Recurrence can occur at the site where the melanoma was removed; in the lymph nodes; or in other parts of the body, such as the lung, liver or brain.

If the melanoma returns, your doctor will discuss the treatment options with you. These will depend on where the melanoma is, as well as the number of sites, its extent and your general health. You may be offered immunotherapy, targeted therapy or the option to join a clinical trial.