Vanessa was 33 weeks pregnant when she learned she had cancer. A biopsy of a mole on her knee—which she’d had for years—tested positive for melanoma.
Franciscan Health melanoma surgeon Juliana E. Meyer, MD, performed surgery two weeks later to remove Vanessa’s tumor. She discovered during the process that the cancer had progressed to Vanessa’s lymph nodes.
Vanessa then found herself in a position no one wants to be in: she was 35 weeks pregnant and had been diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma.
“I would advise people to get yearly skin checks,” Vanessa says. “I didn’t have a dermatologist until I got diagnosed with melanoma. I believe if I had had a dermatologist prior to my diagnosis, maybe we could have caught it before it hit Stage 3—and I wouldn’t be in the position I am today.”
Supportive Cancer Care
With supportive guidance from her Franciscan Health cancer care team, Vanessa was able to deliver a healthy baby girl at 37 weeks—just two weeks after her initial cancer surgery.
“Having a surgeon who was comfortable operating while I was pregnant so that I could take my baby as far to term as possible was so important to me,” Vanessa says.
Vanessa began cancer therapy with Franciscan Health oncologist Meghana Raghavendra, MD, just one month following her daughter’s birth. She received oral chemotherapy initially, followed by immunotherapy infusions every six weeks for a full year.
“Dr. Raghavendra has been fantastic,” Vanessa says. “In my first meeting with her, she drew my type of tumor and showed me the different characteristics of it to make sure I understood what we were dealing with and how my treatment plan would go.”
When Vanessa experienced a recurrence of her melanoma in early 2022, she underwent a second surgery to remove new cancerous cells. Additionally, Franciscan Health radiation oncologist Michael Eaton, MD, joined her care team to help oversee her prescribed 25 rounds of post-surgery radiation.
“I feel like I could probably teach somebody else about radiation now because Dr. Eaton has been so informative about the process,” Vanessa says.
Currently, Vanessa is in the midst of a year’s worth of oral chemotherapy, which she hopes will help her successfully beat her melanoma permanently.
Throughout her intensive cancer treatment plan, Vanessa has leaned on her faith, family and Franciscan care team as support.
“It was through my faith and family that I was able to maintain the strength to get through this and beat it the first time and work on beating it the second time,” she says. “And my care team at Franciscan has been nothing short of amazing. Each of my doctors has helped me feel comfortable and confident with every care decision we’ve made.”
If you have concerns about moles or other skin abnormalities, make an appointment for a skin cancer screening with one of our skilled Franciscan Health dermatologists. Skin cancers can be more easily treated when they are caught early.
