Teddi Mellencamp is to undergo immunotherapy to treat skin cancer.
Teddi Mellencamp has skin cancer
The 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star revealed in October last year she had been diagnosed with stage 2 of the disease and last month, she told fans her latest biopsy had revealed another melanoma and now, in a new update, the 42-year-old star explained she will be starting a new form of treatment to help her immune system fight the cancerous cells.
Sharing a photo of the scars on her shoulder, she wrote on Instagram: "Another update I didn’t want to give but in an effort to be fully transparent and help others, here goes…
"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.' Side effects include: fatigue, inflammation, blisters and some pain but ya know what, it’s better than the alternative. Isic)"
The 'Two Ts in a Pod' co-host - who has children Cruz, Slate and Dove with husband Edwin Arroyave and is stepmother to his daughter Isabella - went on to urge fans to "stay vigilant" when it comes to their own health.
She wrote: "Stay vigilant on getting your skin checked my friends. We can fight this. [heart emojis] @curemelanoma #skincancerawareness #melanomaawareness (sic)"
Last month, Teddi admitted she felt emotional about her latest medical news but was thankful it had been caught early and she could continue to raise awareness of the disease.
She wrote on Instagram: "I have been debating whether I should even publicly talk about this or not but then I remember how every time I post about skin cancer someone else is reminded to get checked. I can't even remember if this is the 12th or 13th one.
"I am so grateful for my 3-month checkup because we caught this one early.
"This means another surgery next week and additional biopsies. As I lay here with tears in my eyes and worry, I know my kids will be up soon. I have a podcast at 10. Life goes on.
"I keep telling myself, 'We can do hard things.' We have so many beautiful things to look forward to, so if you woke up today feeling lost or scared, I encourage you to make a list of some of the things you are truly grateful for and what you are most excited about.(sic)"