Over the past three years I have faced a challenge like never before. Having always been a fair-skinned and freckled individual, looking after my skin has always been a challenge. Right from a young age, I have always burnt easily and suffered from skin problems. Late in 2019 those problems got deeper.

Around 20 years ago I had my first melanoma detected on my skin. On the right side of my stomach. It was cut out, tested, was bad, so cut out further. Fast-forward another 14-15 years and one of my regular skin checks detected another dodgy spot on my right calf muscle. Again, it was cut out, tested, was bad, so cut out further.
In mid-2019 I was experiencing bladder problems. So, I went to a urologist. He couldn’t find anything wrong so suggested a scan of my bladder. When the results of that scan came back, they found nothing wrong with my bladder, but highlighted what looked like a recurrent melanoma in my groin. Cancer.
Unfortunately, the remnants of that melanoma on my calf muscle had entered my body and travelled to the lymph nodes in my right groin. The dissection of the area to prevent this obviously hadn’t worked. Trouble.
In November 2019 I had an operation to remove the melanoma from two of my lymph nodes in my groin and the surgeon also removed 11 lymph nodes, to prevent further spread. My challenge had just begun.
My skin specialist and surgeon Isaac Cranshaw suggested I also investigate going on a 12-month programme of a wonder drug called Keytruda. Wikipedia tells us that Pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, is a humanised antibody used in cancer immunotherapy that treats melanoma, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, stomach cancer, cervical cancer, and certain types of breast cancer. It is given by slow injection into a vein.
So, once every three weeks from early 2020 I went to the Harbour Cancer Centre in Wairau Valley for my bag of Keytruda goodness. Seventeen doses in all.
Keytruda has some side effects, but nothing like chemotherapy. For me it meant muscle and joint soreness, a back problem, and I have also ended up with earlier onset of arthritis which is mainly in my hands. It also made a financial dent as it is not a funded drug for those with stage three cancer.
The Harbour Cancer Centre is a wonderful facility. A team of very friendly people, equipped with the latest technology and premises that are like brand new within the Southern Cross Medical Centre in Wairau Road. It is a place I have come to know well, as despite having completed the Keytruda programme some time ago, I still go there twice weekly for massage therapy – and lately also fitness – at their wellness centre.
A complication from the removal of the lymph nodes in my groin is I have swelling in my right leg – called lymphoedema – that can be controlled by a combination of lymphatic massage and wearing compression leggings. This is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life.
I can’t speak highly enough of my oncologist Gareth Riviland and the wellness team, including lymphatic massage specialist Ash Walsh, at Harbour Cancer Centre. They’ve made my cancer journey much more comfortable.
The reason for me documenting my journey in this issue is to encourage you all to get regular skins checks by people who are specialists in detecting problems. By your doctor, but also by skin specialists if you are in anyway unsure or susceptible to skin problems as I am.
For my skin checks I have gone to the Skin Institute in Takapuna for a few years. After my melanoma problems I have also extended this to have another layer of checks via Molemap, who have a clinic inside Northmed on Akoranga Drive, Northcote.
I have found Molemap to be a fantastic service and I encourage you to use their services – or the services of similar specialists in this field. The investment of a few hundred dollars is well worth it to ensure any bad spots are detected early.
What has impressed me about Molemap is they photograph your entire body and isolate any likely problems. They then analyse these spots and provide you with a report and advice. All this goes onto an online portal that is very easy to access and therefore good data and records are kept on your skin and any problem spots.
I have recently had another melanoma spot detected and cut out thanks to Molemap. On my initial visit they detected six skin spots to keep an eye on. I used their data (and online photos) to show my skin specialist Isaac Cranshaw and sure enough one of those has turned into the problem that has now been removed. Early detection and ongoing monitoring is crucial to avoiding getting into the problem that I encountered in 2019.
This is not an advertorial for any of these organisations. I am just keen for readers to avoid ending up with dirty Mr Melanoma going any further than the skin.
I am pleased to report that it is so far so good for me. Since finishing the Keytruda last year I have had 12 months of quarterly scans that have all been clear. As those living with this cancer uncertainty will attest to, this journey is mentally challenging. I am told that every clear scan improves my odds of survival. Fingers crossed! After my next scan in October it will be six-monthly scans, and then annual. That won’t stop me being on tenterhooks every time in the lead-up to sitting down with Gareth to discuss the results.
Make sure you get your skin checked!