Teddi Mellencamp Grateful for ‘Prayers’ Amid Skin Cancer Battle
By Movieguide® Contributor
REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS star Teddi Mellencamp updated fans on her battle against melanoma.
“On Sept. 13, Mellencamp Arroyave announced on Instagram that she’d been diagnosed with her thirteenth melanoma in the past year,” PEOPLE reported.
Mellencamp underwent a wide excision, the standard surgery to remove melanoma. However, she revealed on Sept. 30 that not all of the cancer cells were removed.
“Another update I didn’t want to give but in an effort to be fully transparent and help others, here goes…” she shared. “I received the call yesterday from my doctor that not all the margins are clear after my last wide excision surgery. Because the area is so broad they no longer feel comfortable cutting. They said I can wait a week so I can show at nationals but upon my return I will start on a 5-week immunotherapy cream…”
“Immunotherapy is an anti-cancer treatment that uses the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells. An immunotherapy cream called imiquimod (Aldara®) is a cream that stimulates the immune system,” she added.
Initially, Mellencamp revealed, the cream was not working.
“It’s been 12 days since I started the immunotherapy cream on my shoulder, and sadly it has not blistered yet. Blisters = it’s working,” she explained. “So my doctors are upping the dosage in the hopes that kicks it into gear. Otherwise, we are going to have to take next steps— which is a full skin graft of my shoulder, taking the skin from my lower abdomen. Let’s just say I have never prayed so hard for some blisters.”
Thankfully, God answered her prayers, and the higher dosage of the cream has shown promising results. Her most recent update reveals that blisters have finally formed.
“My initial prescription of immunotherapy wasn’t working, so my doctor upped the dosage. And now we are seeing some movement. So in two weeks I will have a doctor’s visit and we will see how effective it has been,” Mellencamp revealed.
“Thank you for all of your prayers and messages. Couldn’t do it without y’all,” she added.
While sharing this journey has been a vulnerable experience for the reality star, Mellencamp hopes it will encourage others to get their skin checked.
“Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer because it can spread to lymph nodes and distant organs. In 2023, nearly 187,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma. Of these, more than 97,600 will be diagnosed with invasive (Stage I, II, III or IV) melanoma and over 89,000 will be diagnosed with melanoma in situ (Stage 0),” the Melanoma Research Center reported.
“Skin checks are essential. We’ve seen how quickly it can turn from one melanoma to 12. So when your doctor says, ‘See you in three months,’ it’s three months,” she told PEOPLE last December.
Movieguide® previously reported on Mellencamp’s initial diagnosis:
Reality TV star Teddi Mellencamp recently updated fans on her melanoma diagnosis after surgeons postponed a removal surgery.
Mellencamp revealed that doctors discovered more melanoma and said she would pursue a PET scan to find out “how far the cancer has spread.”
Despite what many would call a setback, Mellencamp said she relies on her faith and support from friends and family.
“I have faith and lots of support from friends, family, doctors and surgeons that all will be ok,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post.
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