Melissa Sheldon has lived with melanoma for over a decade, fortunate to ride the wave of new treatments including targeted cell therapy and immunotherapy. She has had two craniotomies, whole brain and stereotactic radiation, been in palliative care, learnt to walk and talk again, witnessed the power and side effects of treatment, and seen the devastation when patients don’t respond.
Melissa’s experiences, collaborating with researchers, healthcare professionals, support networks and consumers have given her valuable insights. She is a consumer representative with the VCCC Alliance and Melanoma and Skin Cancer (MASC) Trials. She is a living example of the power of science, research, education, and the multidisciplinary approach needed to treat cancer. Passionate about equitable healthcare for all, she shares her story, hoping to improve outcomes for other patients.
I had just turned 29 and my diagnosis was terminal. Back then there was no cure for melanoma or even treatments to significantly prolong your life with quality. It was clear that I would be lucky to survive two years, let alone five.
I remember that first surgery and how an oncologist advised me to eat my greens as if that was my best chance of survival! But for me, dying was not an option. I wasn’t prepared to stand idle with this terminal illness. So, I researched. A lot. I sought opinions from other specialists. And it brought me to the leading-edge melanoma research at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre led by Professor Grant McArthur.
"Grant told me if I can stay alive long enough on one trial, I can essentially ride the wave of new treatments. That is exactly what I did... and I am still doing."
In the early days, I campaigned to have solariums banned from Victoria, carrying on Clare Oliver’s strong stance. I was also active in news and media, helping Ipilimumab and then Pembrolizumab gain PBS listing.
My motivation came from when I was in palliative care, severely underweight, and unable to walk or talk. I had just had my first craniotomy hoping to live long enough and get strong so I could join another clinical trial for Ipilimumab, an immunotherapy drug. It was my best chance of surviving, but it wasn’t available on the PBS. It was around $100,000 for each treatment. I would need four. In an enormous effort, my family and workplace rallied the community to fundraise and simultaneously helped lobby it onto the PBS. No other person should have to go to those lengths to access melanoma treatment.
The speed at which this space has and is progressing and the collaboration of talented minds working together astounds me. We are seeing a truly multidisciplinary approach to cancer therapies and care. It’s data-driven and evidence-based, with leadership and innovations. I am here thanks to the amazing power of research, remarkable teams of health professionals, and, critically, the opportunity to access new melanoma treatments through clinical trials.
For young women in the field, I would say be bold, be optimistic and challenge assumptions. Your contribution to cancer research and clinical trials will change lives. When I was first diagnosed with melanoma in 2008, cancer clinics were quiet places. Now they’re brimming with survivors living quality lives. This is due to the power of medical research, clinical trials and the efforts of those health professionals who dared to challenge what seemed impossible in this fight against cancer.
My experiences mean that I am deeply passionate about equitable healthcare for all patients and their families. Having been given many chances at life, to contribute building on initiatives to meet the needs of vulnerable groups sits close to my heart. My hope is to pay it forward, given the incredible care I have received throughout my lived cancer experience.
Melissa was recently appointed to the VCCC Strategic Program Steering Group - Program 8 Health Equity.
