Updated January 18th, 2026

‘Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Alum Teddi Mellencamp, Who Publicly Battled Late-Stage Melanoma Skin Cancer, Is Choosing ‘Grace’ For 2026: ‘I’m Trying My Best To Be Grateful For Every Moment’

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Survivorship After Battling Melanoma

After a year battling stage 4 melanoma, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Teddi Mellencamp says she’s entering 2026 with intention, choosing “grace” as her guiding word after an arduous 2025.
Melanoma is considered one of the most dangerous forms of skin cancer because of its ability to spread to other parts of the body. It starts in the cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. The cells change, which allows them to spread to other organs.
Gratitude means being thankful for what you have and showing appreciation for it. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, several studies have indicated that learning to live with gratitude can lead to more happiness and less stress.
One way to exercise gratitude is to take time to think about things you appreciate every day.

After a difficult year battling stage 4 melanoma, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Teddi Mellencamp, 44, is looking ahead with purpose, announcing “grace” as her word for 2026.

Mellencamp, who underwent surgery, immunotherapy, and radiation amid her ongoing melanoma battle, took to social media to commemorate the New Year, writing on Instagram, “My word for 2026: GRACE Grace for myself. Grace for others. Grace even when my mind is telling me to offer anything but.

“2025 was hard. 2026 I’m choosing grace.”

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A post shared by Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave (@teddimellencamp)

In another post, the resilience mom of five, recapped 2025 with a carousel of photos from her cancer fight, writing, “2025 was not my year. Near-death has that effect on you. But as I close it out, I’m trying my best to be grateful for every moment that I’ve been blessed to have been given since.

“I’m not sure what 2026 will hold, but I know that I will never stop sharing with you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Being open and vulnerable helps me cope; and hopefully helps even one of you know you’re not alone in what life has you facing.”

She concluded, “And of course, this is also a reminder to get those skin checks. Have you made your 2026 appointment yet?”

Mellencamp revealed in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, which later metastasized to her brain and lungs.

She is currently undergoing immunotherapy, a cutting-edge treatment that works by training the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

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A post shared by Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave (@teddimellencamp)

Mellencamp, best known for her prominent role on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and as the daughter of Grammy-winning musician John Mellencamp, has undergone multiple biopsies and surgeries in the years following her skin cancer diagnosis.

About two months ago, she revealed that her latest cancer scans found “No detectable cancer.”

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A post shared by Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave (@teddimellencamp)

The Power of Gratitude: How Cancer Survivors Find Strength in Appreciation & Support

Many cancer survivors who’ve shared their journeys with SurvivorNet speak not only of resilience, but of gratitude. In the face of life-altering diagnoses and grueling treatments, they consistently point to the people, moments, and simple joys that bring light into their lives.

Defined as the practice of recognizing and appreciating what we have, gratitude can be a powerful mindset for those navigating the uncertainty of cancer. Experts interviewed by SurvivorNet encourage both patients and their loved ones to embrace gratitude as a tool for emotional well-being and mental strength.

WATCH: Finding gratitude and its impact on your well-being.

Dr. Zuri Murrell, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, has seen firsthand how this mindset can transform the treatment experience.

“The patients who do well with cancer live life with gratitude—not for the disease itself, but for the clarity it brings,” he says. “They’re grateful for the opportunity to understand that life is finite, and that every moment matters.”

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, multiple studies show that cultivating gratitude can lead to increased happiness and reduced stress—two critical factors in supporting mental health during treatment.

Practicing gratitude doesn’t require grand gestures. It can be as simple as pausing each day to reflect on what brings you joy or jotting down a few things you’re thankful for in a journal. These small acts can help reframe even the most difficult days, offering a sense of control, hope, and emotional grounding.

Surrounded by a strong family support system, Mellencamp is fortunate—yet anyone in need of guidance or support should know that help is within reach. A social worker or life coach can guide you and connect you with community groups of people in similar situations, or you might lean on a trusted friend or mentor for guidance and encouragement.

“Some people don’t need to go outside of their family and friends’ circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik told SurvivorNet.

Do I Need to Share My Cancer Diagnosis in Social Situations?

“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional.”

Dr. Plutchik also stressed how important it is for people supporting cancer survivors to understand their emotions can vary day-to-day.

“People can have a range of emotions, they can include fear, anger, and these emotions tend to be fluid. They can recede and return based on where someone is in the process,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Dr. Charmain Jackman, a licensed psychologist and founder of InnoPsych, echoes the benefits of positive mental health while facing a health diagnosis.

“In the face of a life-threatening diagnosis, fear, hopelessness, and despair can quickly take space in your mind,” Dr. Jackman explained.

“However, your mindset is a superpower and can be a potent antidote to illness. Practicing gratitude, cultivating joy, and connecting to the community are practical ways to develop a resilient mindset.”

What You Need to Know About Survivorship

Whether you’re beginning your journey into survivorship or are a seasoned survivor, you’ll quickly learn that it’s a term with many layers. At its simplest, ‘survivorship’ signifies the state of living beyond a challenging event or diagnosis, such as cancer. More specifically, it marks the period after treatment where a patient goes from merely surviving to thriving, as they navigate their newfound lease on life.

It’s important to remember that survivorship isn’t just an end state – it’s a continuous journey. It begins the moment a person is diagnosed with a significant health condition and continues throughout their life. You might hear people say things like, “from the moment of diagnosis, you become a survivor.”

It’s a powerful sentiment that reflects the courage and resilience involved in battling a serious illness.

Being a survivor also means redefining your life while coping with the aftermath of disease and its treatment. This phase might include the challenge of dealing with physical and emotional changes, attending regular check-ups, the fear of recurrence, or the need for long-term medication. Despite these hurdles, many survivors find unique strength, growth, and transformation during this time.

Survivorship is much more than just the absence of disease—it’s a new stage of life, a rite of passage. Your journey might not have been one you would have chosen, but through it, you’ll uncover a greater understanding of yourself and what you’re capable of. Each person’s survivorship journey is unique, and how you choose to travel is entirely up to you.

Remember—navigating this new terrain called ‘Survivorship’. It might be challenging, but remember, you’re not alone. There are ample resources and support systems designed to help you along the way.

Continued Medical Care

Don’t lose sight of the importance of continued medical care – always keep your follow-up appointments and adhere to any healthcare recommendations.

Remember, embracing these coping strategies can help you navigate your way into survivorship with greater ease and renewed energy. Just remember – slow and steady wins the race! You’ve overcome huge hurdles, it’s okay to take this new stage of your life at your own pace.

Resilient learning to overcome any obstacle

Additionally, health checkups are an integral part of maintaining wellness and spotting potential health issues early. This holds true for everyone, but even more so for a person who’s in the throes of survivorship.

One of the main reasons you’ll want to maintain routine health checks is to monitor for recurrence. While the hope is always for complete recovery, there’s a possibility of the disease returning—even with successful treatment. Regular checkups allow you to keep a vigilant eye on the situation, leading to early detection and treatment if any problem emerges.

Understanding Melanoma

Melanoma occurs in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. In this type of cancer, the cells change, allowing them to spread to other organs.

Changes to a mole you’ve had for a while or a new growth on your skin could be signs of melanoma.

You’re most likely to find melanoma on sun-exposed skin areas like your face, neck, arms, and legs. Surprisingly, you might also find them in other places as well, like:

The palms of your hands or soles of your feet
On your eyes or mouth
Under your nails

The top way to protect yourself is by staying out of the sun, especially during peak hours, and avoiding unprotected sun exposure because ultraviolet (UV) radiation can lead to melanoma.

Experts, such as Dr. Anna Pavlick, an oncologist at NYU’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, say tanning beds pose ultraviolet radiation risks for skin cancer and should be avoided completely.

Dr. Pavlick says that people who are covered with moles stand a higher risk of developing skin cancer, especially people with dysplastic nevus syndrome or “atypical” moles.

Atypical moles are unusual-looking and irregularly shaped when seen under a microscope. Although usually benign, a high number of atypical moles does signal an increased risk for melanoma, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, which says people with 10 or more atypical moles have a 12 times higher risk of developing melanoma.

Melanoma Treatment Options

Melanoma treatment has come a long way. Survival rates have risen dramatically, thanks to a “treatment revolution,” say SurvivorNet’s experts. With breakthrough treatments like targeted therapy and immunotherapy now available, people who are diagnosed today have a much better chance of living a long and healthy life than ever before.

If you’re diagnosed with melanoma, there’s a good chance surgery is going to be the treatment your doctor recommends. In the early stages of the disease, removing the cancer should lead to a cure. The question is typically not whether you’ll get surgery but which kind you’ll have.

WATCH: Dermatologic Surgeon Dr. Nima Gharavi, On The “Gold Standard Treatment” For Melanoma

For an early-stage melanoma that is close to the skin surface, Mohs surgery might be an option. This technique removes skin cancer, layer by layer until all the cancer is gone.

In general, stage I melanoma surgery consists of a dermatologist’s simple, in-office removal of the cancerous cells. If the cancer is thicker, your surgeon will remove it through a technique called wide excision surgery.

The removal of stage II and III melanomas is performed by surgeons or surgical oncologists, not dermatologists. You may also have a sentinel lymph node biopsy to see if the melanoma has spread to the first lymph node where it’s most likely to travel. If your cancer has reached this first lymph node, it may have spread to other neighboring lymph nodes and possibly to other organs. Where the cancer is will dictate your treatment.

After surgery, the removed tissue and lymph nodes are sent to a specialist called a pathologist, who measures the melanoma and determines whether it has clear margins. Clear margins mean the cells around the area of tissue that was removed don’t contain any melanoma. When there aren’t any cancer cells left around the removed area, your cancer is less likely to come back.

Once your cancer spreads, treatment gets a little more complicated, but there are still ways to stop it. New treatments have vastly improved the outlook for people with metastatic, or stage IV, melanoma.

Targeted drugs and immunotherapy have been shown to be more effective than chemotherapy. So, with many more choices, there is no standard treatment. Treatment will vary based on your condition and whether there is a recurrent disease.

Research has found that immunotherapy drugs such as Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and Opdivo (nivolumab) helped some people live longer. Combining immunotherapy drugs Yervoy (ipilimumab) and Opdivo (nivolumab) has also extended survival. Opdivo (nivolumab) + relatlimab is a new therapy option added to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines in 2022. The combination of two immunotherapies is called Opdualag.

For those with the BRAF mutation, targeted drugs that shrink or slow the tumor can be a good option. This could include a combination of drugs, such as:

Zelboraf (vemurafenib) and Cotellic (cobimetinib)
Braftovi (encorafenib) and Mektovi (binimetinib)
Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib)
Zelboraf (vemurafenib) and Cotellic (cobimetinib) can also be combined with atezolizumab.

“Every patient is different, and every situation is different,” says Dr. Anna Pavlick, medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. She emphasized that “there is no cookie-cutter recipe” for treating stage IV melanoma.

There Is No “Cookie Cutter Recipe” for Treating Stage Four Melanoma

Dr. Pavlick also notes the importance of personalized care and treatment. “It really is a matter of looking at the tools we have so that we can pick the right tools to give the patient the best outcome.”

So, while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating metastatic melanoma, your doctor will work with you to develop a treatment plan that is tailored to your individual situation. Advances in research and technology are making the fight against metastatic melanoma more hopeful than ever.