Mum with 'hay-fever symptoms' discovers she has one-in-a-million cancer

Melanie Wellings, 63, was told by doctors in 2021 that she’s the only person in the UK currently living with sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM) – a rare and aggressive cancer that means she now lives with a permanent hole in her face, the size of a small orange.

Career-woman Melanie says she’s giving herself to science so that people diagnosed with SNMM in the future will have better treatment options. Now she’s backing a call from Cancer Research UK for people to leave their own legacy and help beat cancer for generations to come by leaving a gift to the charity in their will.

Gifts in Wills fund a third of Cancer Research UK’s work, which has helped double cancer survival in the UK. But with around 37,300 people diagnosed with cancer in the South West every year, Melanie says there’s an urgent need to accelerate progress.

Melanie said: “It came as such a shock to be told I had cancer let alone one so rare. I’d had no pain, just runny eyes, runny nose, sneezing and eventually a nosebleed.

“Unfortunately, I know my time is limited but my doctors are learning from me every day and research has given me more time with my family. I will try anything and everything to stay alive. I want to be able to help others like me in the future and hope others will too by leaving a gift in their will.”

Mel has a lot to live for as a mum to Tom, 30, a grandmother to Amelia, three and she has another granddaughter due in March. Despite losing an eye and some of her face to cancer, she refuses to let the disease prevent her enjoying precious time with her family and is grateful for any options available to treat her.

Melanie said: “I’ve had six surgeries and tried immunotherapy but in 2023, I was told there was nothing more that could be done. With no options left, I tried radiotherapy and here I am 14 months later. I’ve just had the latest scan results and have been told there’s no growth since August.”

Cancer Research UK was a key player in the development of radiotherapy, and after decades of research to improve and innovate it, it now benefits millions of cancer patients worldwide.

From making radiotherapy more targeted to combining it with other treatments and reducing the number of doses needed, the charity’s scientists have changed clinical practice worldwide and made radiotherapy kinder and more effective.

It was during the Covid-19 pandemic that Melanie first noticed symptoms and put them down to hay-fever, despite never previously suffering from the condition.

Mel said: “I’d had all the classic signs like a runny nose, runny eyes and sneezing and when I was still experiencing them in September, my friend urged me to get checked. Shortly afterwards I was woken in the middle of the night by a nosebleed so booked in to see the doctor.

“Despite it being lockdown, the GP called me in and when they looked up my nose, they immediately referred me to a consultant who saw me within a fortnight.

“The consultant also didn’t like what he saw and booked me in for surgery at Gloucester Hospital to remove some polyps and as much tissue that concerned him as he could. It was sent off to be analysed and soon after I was called in to see him.

“I knew it must be serious because he said how much he disliked delivering bad news and then apologised for having to tell me that I had cancer. I looked at my son, Tom, and I wasn’t upset at first. We were both more shocked as I just never expected it to be cancer.

“I was then referred to an ENT specialist who wanted to perform more surgery to ensure all the cancer was removed. I had a big operation, cutting down the side of my nose to my mouth, and they removed all of the cancer. I had 100 stitches and it took three days to remove them all.

“It was soon confirmed that I had a very rare cancer called ‘sinonasal mucosal melanoma’ (SNMM) and they believed I was the only case of its kind in the UK. Due to its rarity and aggressive nature, treatment options are limited.

“The surgery meant I was cancer free for around 15-months, but a follow-up MRI scan revealed that the cancer had returned, attaching my eye to the surrounding bone.

“I tried immunotherapy, a treatment that supercharges the immune system to kill cancer cells, but it wasn’t suitable for me. The only way we could eradicate and control my disease was to lose my eye, but I was willing to do that just to live.

“The operation took 11 hours for the surgeons to remove as much cancer as they safely could, taking several skin grafts and veins from my arm to rebuild my face. I was in intensive care for around three days.

“Unfortunately, the cancer returned again which meant further surgery and this time the skin grafts didn’t take. I now have a permanent hole in my face where my eye socket is. I’ve tried a prosthetic to keep it covered but find it more comfortable to wear a soft gauze.

“It’s been difficult getting used to my new appearance, especially as I’ve always really taken care of how I look. I have lost my taste and smell so the enjoyment of food has gone away but I’m not ready to give up.

“When doctors discovered the cancer was active again, we introduced radiotherapy to try to stop it in its tracks. I had treatment five days a week for six weeks and it’s bought me an extra 14 months so far to make memories with my family and to hopefully see my new granddaughter arrive this spring.”

Melanie said: “My latest scans showed that my cancer is currently stable and so I’m grateful for some good news and the extra time I’ve been given. I’ve also put myself forward for any clinical trials that I could be suitable for that may give me more time but ultimately, I want to help anyone else who may find themselves in my shoes.”

Gifts in Wills allow Cancer Research UK to invest in pioneering trials and long-term research projects that could find new ways to outsmart cancer and stop it in its tracks – saving more lives in the region and across the UK.

She continued: “Advances in research mean people are being diagnosed earlier, have access to kinder and more effective treatments and some cancers are prevented completely. So, I hope sharing my experience will help inspire more support for Cancer Research UK. By leaving a gift in their Will to the charity, people across Gloucestershire could help give the gift of hope to many more people like me.”

Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the south west, Elisa Mitchell, said: “We’re grateful to Melanie for helping to raise awareness. Our scientists have played a role in around half of the world’s essential cancer drugs, led the development of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and paved the way for targeted treatments. This all adds up to more precious moments for people affected by cancer and their loved ones. But we must go further and faster.

“Nearly one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. All of us can support the research that will beat it. We're working towards a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer and gifts in Wills are vital to making this a reality.” 

To find out more about naming Cancer Research UK as a beneficiary in a will click here.