Recurrence

I had a skin lesion (below right; after removal, below left) removed in Sept 2023 which turned out to be a malignant melanoma. I wasn't given staging info, but was advised that it had a thickness and size that meant immunotherapy was strongly recommended. I was told that if I declined treatment, there was a 52% chance of recurrence within 12 months, and if it did recur there was a 25% likelihood that it would be systemic.

On this advice, I did 12 months of immunotherapy, and was also fortunate to qualify for a clinical trial of a targeted vaccine. I competed treatment in November 2024.

I have had CT scans and blood tests every three months during and post treatment, all of which have been clear. I also have my skin checked by a dermatologist every 6 months. At my most recent check up he decided to remove a suspicious looking 'mole' (below), which was on the same forearm where my original melanoma had been found. The pathology has just come back confirming that this 'mole' is in fact a melanoma, and I need to have further surgery to get a clear margin around the site.

I will likely be seeing my oncologist (who runs the clinical trial of which I am part) once we have further pathology to review.

My questions are:

• Does this new melanoma mean my melanoma has spread?
• Has my melanoma 'metastasised'?
• Does this mean the immunotherapy and vaccine therapy haven't worked?
• If it does mean they haven't worked, will these treatments not be suitable if I need further treatment for this latest melanoma?
• Why would this new melanoma have not been picked up on my CT scans?

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I had really thought I was through this and my brain is buzzing with thoughts of having to deal with it again.

Thanks for reading.