26-Year-Old Woman Dismissed Lump Near Her Armpit As An Allergic Reaction To New Deodorant. It Was Melanoma

However, fast forward to August 2024, when she was 26, she noticed the questionable lump near her armpit. She said in a recent interview, according to Yahoo!Life, “I didn’t think anything of it and presumed it was just an allergic reaction to my new deodorant, making a mental note to keep an eye on it.

“But after switching to a natural deodorant and being away for a week on holiday the lump continued to grow, so I immediately went to a doctor when I got home.”

Once her doctor felt the lump, Knipe had an ultrasound and a biopsy done of the area where the lump was located, only to reveal she had stage three melanoma, which possibly spread from the stage 2 melanoma she had on her back.

“Most people diagnosed with advanced melanoma are much older, typically in their 60s or 70s, so being diagnosed at my age was a huge shock. Melanoma does not always look the way you think it does and my case proved that,” she explained further.

Knipe, who celebrated having “no evidence of disease” earlier this year,  said her treatment plan consisted of three rounds of immunotherapy prior to surgery.

“I’ve also had to make major life adjustments. As immunotherapy can affect fertility, I wanted to take action as soon as possible, so I spent my 27th birthday freezing my eggs. The process felt surreal –preserving the possibility of having children later in life while battling a disease that could take it all away,” she continued.

As for her physically and emotionally draining cancer fight, Knipe admits to learning a lot about the disease.

“When I first heard the term ‘skin cancer’, I thought I understood the basics: check your moles, wear sunscreen, avoid excessive sun exposure. But melanoma is far more complex. Genetics play a significant role and I had no idea that every bad sunburn I had as a child could increase my risk of developing melanoma later in life. Skin is our largest organ, and now I see how essential it is to protect it just as we protect our lungs or liver,” she explained.

“My life has changed dramatically since my diagnosis. Treatment has become a job in itself. Although I’m now cancer-free, advanced melanoma has a high chance of coming back. Between the regular blood tests, scans and specialist visits, I am constantly on alert. Melanoma also has a high risk of spreading to the brain, so my doctors closely monitor my head with CT and PET scans. Even though the scans have been all clear so far, the constant worrying is exhausting.”

@gabrielleknipe

a good news and bad news day but trying to celebrate the wins where I can…first scans with no evidience of disease (NED) six months after I got the news of my metastatic diagnosis 🤍 p.s. so me to have a bit of chocolate on my chin in the last clip #cancerfree #cancer #cancerjourney #melanoma #melanomaawareness #cancertok #fyp

♬ original sound – ￶

 

Knipe noted in her recent interview that her current treatment plan has been “paused due to side effects” as her and her doctors look for other treatment options that may work for her.

“What I have learned, though, is the importance of trusting my body. I am more in tune with my health now than ever before. I know when something does not feel right, and I have learned not to be afraid to speak up or push for answers. If I had not trusted my instincts early on, I might not be in the position to fight this,” she said.

@gabrielleknipe

Replying to @karina pupsik lil update from me x #melanoma #melanomaawareness #cancer #cancerfree #cancerjourney #cancertok

♬ original sound – Gabrielle

Learning More About Melanoma

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. It starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. In melanoma, the cells change in a way that allows 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, according to SurvivorNet’s experts. You’ll want to watch them and tell your doctor about any changes you notice.

WATCH: How do you perform a skin check using the ABCDEs?

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

SurvivorNet experts recommend avoiding unprotected sun exposure because ultraviolet (UV) radiation can lead to melanoma. Tanning beds pose ultraviolet radiation risks for skin cancer and should be avoided. Many dermatologists recommend using spray tans to reduce the risk of melanoma skin cancer.

What Are the Symptoms of Melanoma?

The most important thing to look out for when it comes to finding melanoma is a new spot on your skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color, SurvivorNet’s medical experts say.

When you check your skin, use the acronym ABCDE as your guide:

• Asymmetrical moles: If you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?
• Borders: Is the mole irregular or jagged?
• Colors: Are there multiple distinct colors in the mole?
• Diameter: Is the mole larger than 6 millimeters (mm), about the size of a pencil head eraser?
• Evolution: Has the mole’s color, shape, or size changed over time?

RELATED: The Genetic Mutation That Drives Many Metastatic Melanomas

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, our experts say it’s time to see your dermatologist for a skin check.

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 the simple, in-office removal of the cancerous cells by a dermatologist. 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 are 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 will go to a specialist called a pathologist, who will measure the melanoma and find out if it has clear margins. Having clear margins means 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 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 which 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.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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