Suze’s Story

During 2015 at just 24 years old junior doctor Suze was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma. The sentinel lymph dissection that followed revealed that the cancer had spread to a lymph node in her armpit. Suze later got the news that she had multiple liver metastases, and her melanoma was stage 4. This occurred a few months after immunotherapy had been approved by NICE, so she was able to have pembrolizumab immunotherapy on the NHS. She received this treatment for two years from 2016 to 2018 and after about a year, scans had showed that she was responding to the treatment. After 2 years, she had a complete response to treatment and no liver metastases on scans anymore. She was worried that her fertility would have been affected by the treatment, but she went on to have 2 beautiful healthy children. She now lives a very full life as a GP, living with her husband and children. Here she very kindly shares her story.

“Melanoma turned life upside down for me from the age of 24.”

Melanoma turned life upside down for me from the age of 24. I had been worried about a mole on my chest before that but was slow to get checked due to a combination of having been previously reassured by a dermatologist and not wanting to leave work to go to the GP. I was in the middle of my first year working as a junior doctor after medical school. I remember being given the diagnosis of stage 2 melanoma on my own in a clinic room, then driving back to the hospital stroke ward to finish my day of work. The news at the time felt rather surreal, so I kind of just got on with things in my hospital job.

“This was followed by what felt like a long chain of bad news.”

This was followed by what felt like a long chain of bad news. A sentinel node biopsy was positive which meant that the cancer had spread to a lymph node in my armpit, so I had an operation to remove all the lymph nodes in that armpit. A scan showed that it might have spread to a couple of organs (but it took about a year of further scans to show that this wasn’t the case). Then it just kept coming back in little lumps under my skin of my armpit and chest, needing to be removed surgically each time. It all felt a little relentless for about year, when I got the news that I did actually have multiple liver metastases.

“I was 25 years old, working in a new city with my partner and suddenly having to face the fact that I was more likely to die than to survive this diagnosis.”

I was 25 years old, working in a new city with my partner and suddenly having to face the fact that I was more likely to die than to survive this diagnosis. My liver metastases did have the decency to arrive a few months after immunotherapy had been approved by NICE, so I was able to have pembrolizumab immunotherapy on the NHS. This was long, relentless, and slow. I felt totally isolated. As a 25-year-old, I was the youngest on the Chemotherapy Day Unit (the hospital had a separate area for 16-24 year olds), receiving a treatment difference to chemotherapy. I attended an induction to the unit where they went through lots of important information for people starting chemotherapy, none of which was particularly relevant for me as an immunotherapy patient.

After about a year, scans had shown that I was responding to the treatment. After 2 years, I had a complete response to treatment and no liver metastases on scans anymore. I finished treatment. And immediately did a dance show and signed up for a half marathon in the Arctic Circle!

“My life had shrunk to living from scan to scan every 3 months.”

I was 28 when I finished my immunotherapy treatment in 2018. At the time, 10-year data hadn’t been released so the future felt very uncertain. My life had shrunk to living from scan to scan every 3 months. I gradually allowed myself to look ahead slightly further each time I had a scan that was ok. I worked as a doctor throughout, and finished my GP training a couple of years later.

“One of the things that I had grieved most when I thought I would die of my melanoma was not having the opportunity to have kids.”

One of the things that I had grieved most when I thought I would die of my melanoma was not having the opportunity to have kids. We asked my oncologist about having children after immunotherapy for stage 4 melanoma. There was no reason my fertility had been affected by the treatment, but the team weren’t aware of anyone else who had had babies in these circumstances, so I didn’t have much information to go on. We decided to go for it and had my daughter in 2020. I delayed my cancer monitoring scan and had it a couple of weeks postpartum instead. I spent the whole pregnancy pretty terrified of recurrence, or a problem with my baby due to the melanoma. At one point I had to have a liver ultrasound scan for a non-melanoma reason, and was so scared they would find liver mets. I was on my own because of Covid.

I now live a very full life as a GP, living with my husband and 2 beautiful healthy children, dancing at any opportunity I get both on and off the stage.

What advice would you give to other melanoma patients?

I think it’s really easy to spend all your time feeling scared when you have melanoma, and this really sucks joy and your sense of freedom. Of course cancer is really really scary. But I feel like I’ve chosen to not be scared of the sun, and not be scared of making decisions that were right for me at the time (such as having children). Instead of fear I choose to be as informed as possible and make decisions that are right for me.

Also here’s a tip for treatment that my husband invented  – Treatment Treats! Every week I had immunotherapy, I had a treat (like going for dinner, to the theatre, buying something nice, seeing a friend). It really made treatments much better to tolerate!

Why is Melanoma Focus important to you?

Melanoma is increasingly common and early diagnosis and treatment, as well as prevention, are so important. I attended the Patient Conference when I had liver mets and it definitely reduced my sense of isolation. I think it’s really important that patients are as informed as possible and Melanoma Focus is doing great work in this respect.

Suze presented a talk at our 2025 Melanoma Patient Conference, you can access the video recording, here.