“I’ve spent most of my adult life on the water. As a superyacht captain, and more recently as a face you might recognize from Bravo’s Below Deck Down Under, the sun has been my constant companion. The saltwater, the open sky, the deck beneath my feet: it’s the world I chose, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

But that world comes at a cost I didn’t fully understand until it was almost too late. 

Growing up in Australia, you’d think sun safety would’ve been drummed into me. And sure, you hear the warnings. You know the risks in the abstract. But when you’re working outdoors twelve to fourteen hours a day, year after year, sunscreen starts to feel like something you put on before a beach holiday, not something that could one day stand between you and a cancer diagnosis. 

I was wrong about that. Dead, wrong. 

I’ll be honest, I’m not the type to rush to the doctor. I suspect a lot of men reading this know exactly what I mean. You notice something, you tell yourself it’s probably nothing, you keep moving. Life is busy. The boat doesn’t wait. 

It was something small that finally made me pay attention. A spot. One of those things you’ve almost stopped seeing because it’s just been there, part of the landscape of your own skin. But someone close to me looked at it and said the words I’d been unconsciously avoiding: “You should get that checked.” 

So, I did. 

My dermatologist confirmed what I’d been quietly hoping wasn’t true. Melanoma. The word landed with a weight I wasn’t prepared for, even though some part of me had started to suspect. I remember sitting there, running through the math in my head: the years at sea, the accumulated hours in direct sunlight and all those days I’d told myself I was too busy to reapply. It all crystallized in that single moment. 

My melanoma was caught at a stage where treatment was possible. I want to be clear about something: I was lucky. Not because the diagnosis wasn’t serious, melanoma moves fast, and I’ve since heard stories that remind me exactly how serious it can be, but because I caught it in time. That is why it’s so imperative to get regular skin checks not only when you suspect a suspicious mole, but annually.  

What followed was a series of procedures to remove the melanoma and assess how far it had spread. I won’t pretend it was easy. There’s something uniquely humbling about sitting in a medical office, waiting for results, understanding for the first time that your body has been fighting something without your knowledge. You feel powerless in a way that’s hard to describe if you haven’t been there. 

But I also felt something else: gratitude. Every step of the process, every appointment, every follow-up and every clear scan reinforced the same truth. Early detection is everything! If I had waited another year or two, the outcome could have looked very different. 

I can’t go back and undo the years of sun exposure. None of us can. But I can talk about it loudly, publicly and without embarrassment because I know how many people, especially men, are sitting right now with a spot they’ve been meaning to get looked at and haven’t. 

Melanoma is the most common cancer in Australia and is the deadliest form of skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States, and it’s entirely too common among people who live and work the way I do. The Melanoma Research Foundation’s annual melanoma awareness month #GetNaked campaign asks something simple and radical at the same time: look at your skin. Take off your shirt. Stand in front of a mirror. Book a skin check. Let a professional look at what you might be too close to see clearly. It’s not vain. It’s not excessive. It’s the kind of thing that saves your life. 

I know, because it saved mine. 

#GetNaked…It Saved My Life”

The MRF’s 15^th Annual 2026 Eyes on a Cure Ocular Melanoma Patient & Caregiver Symposium brought together more than 75 patients, caregivers and clinicians at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (BPEI) and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami, FL for a weekend of education, connection and community. 

The weekend began Friday evening with a welcome dinner at PRIMOS Restaurant, where the energy in the room was palpable. Attendees laughed, shared stories and connected so deeply that the night stretched well past 10:30pm. It was a powerful reminder of what this community means to one another. 

Throughout the day, attendees also had the opportunity to step away from the main sessions and join smaller open discussion groups facilitated by oncology social workers, offering a more intimate space for questions, reflection and peer connection. 

The day closed with debrief sessions, where attendees gathered in smaller breakout groups by primary disease, metastatic disease and caregivers, each facilitated by members of the MRF team and social workers from BPEI and Sylvester. 

A clear theme resonated throughout the entire weekend…hope. It came up again and again, in the sessions, in the hallways and at the dinner table, and nowhere was it more present than in Sunday’s session with Jon Davis, a retired Air Force pilot, engineer and 12.5-year ocular melanoma patient with eight years of metastatic disease. 

Sunday’s programming closed with a provider panel featuring Dr. Basil Williams, Medical Director, Ocular Oncology Service and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, alongside MRF’s Miriam Kadosh and Caroline Glavin, focused on how to bring more clinicians and advocates into the ocular melanoma space and the concrete ways providers can better support this community. It was a fitting and forward-looking note to end on. 

After a grab-and-go lunch, the group headed to loanDepot Park to cheer on the Miami Marlins, who delivered a win to cap off the weekend. A full recording of the symposium sessions will be available on YouTube soon, so stay tuned.

“In 2012, I was diagnosed with desmoplastic melanoma on the mucosal membrane of a nerve in my left mandible. I underwent a free-flap surgery that involved removing my left mandible and reconstructing it using my left fibula. This was a 10-hour surgery followed by a seven-day hospital stay. After surgery, I completed 30 radiation treatments. 

Over the next seven years, I underwent 15 additional surgeries. While these procedures were reconstructive, the radiation significantly limited how much could safely be done at one time. I have been NED since my initial surgery. After completing semi-annual scans for the first five years, I now continue with annual scans. 

Over the past 12 years, our Life Is Sweet team has raised more than $60,000 for Miles for Melanoma. My family and I work year-round to raise funds and educate others about melanoma. We create fabric bags and marker/colored-pencil holders that we sell at craft fairs. Each item includes a tag that shares a brief summary of my story, and we display our Miles for Melanoma sign at every event. Nearly every time, people stop to share how melanoma has affected them or someone they love. 

Raising money for melanoma research is deeply important to me. When I was diagnosed, there were only two medications available to treat melanoma, and outcomes were often poor. Today, there are countless treatment options and combinations. A close friend of mine—one of the only other people I know with desmoplastic melanoma—is alive today because of TIL therapy. After many unsuccessful treatments, TIL was her last option. 

Multiple times each year, friends reach out to me seeking guidance for a loved one newly diagnosed with melanoma. Some have thankfully survived, while others have not—often because the cancer was caught too late. These experiences continue to reinforce why advocacy, education and research matter so much to me. 

I raise money to help find a cure and give others a fighting chance until a cure is found.” 

“Margaret, my wife, was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma in 2005. What began as a “bothersome mole” on her foot soon changed our lives forever, progressing to stage 4 in less than a year. We were blessed to live near the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, the only NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center in Georgia, where she received treatment.

When she was first diagnosed, the only “cure” was surgery and a lot of experimental treatments. We lost count of her surgeries, though there were likely between 12 and 15. She endured many different treatments with horrible side effects. Throughout it all, our surgical and medical oncologists were caring and honest about the nature of these treatments for this incurable disease. We had complete faith in them and their dedication to finding a treatment that would heal her.

The Melanoma Research Foundation sponsored a conference at Emory where Margaret was invited to share her journey. This event brought together the melanoma community, including patients and care partners. It was through this experience that we learned about the MRF’s commitment to finding a cure and supporting those living with the disease. 

Their purpose is completely in line with our deep desire and commitment to those with melanoma.  We decided to leave a large portion of our estate to find a cure and support those with it. We are honored to include MRF in our estate plan.  We are not rich but God has richly blessed us.  Margaret passed away Feb 26, 2022 after fighting this disease for 17 years. She fought the good fight for these years. Through our gift to MRF, we want to reduce the number of people that develop it and to find a cure for those who do.” – Keith Murdock

Teresa responded to her diagnosis with unwavering determination. She embraced a new way of living — shifting to a completely vegan lifestyle, studying natural healing methods and committing herself to both medical treatment and prayer. Working closely with her doctors at UCLA, she fought tirelessly, and by the summer of 2016, she had overcome the disease. Her recovery was a triumph of discipline, hope and unshakeable belief.

In late 2017, Teresa faced another heartbreaking setback when the melanoma metastasized to her liver. Once again, she fought back with courage and resilience. After a long and difficult battle, she entered remission a second time. But when new tumors later appeared throughout her body, she began another round of immunotherapy and joined a clinical trial. The treatments were grueling, yet her spirit remained unbreakable.

Today, at 79 years old, Teresa continues her fight — and her doctors are witnessing what they Teresa Arredondo Ocular Melanoma Thriver call a miracle. Her tumors are shrinking, some have disappeared completely, and her overall response defies medical explanation. To those who know her, her progress is nothing short of divine grace at work.

Teresa is not yet cancer-free, but she is “faith-full.” For 15 years, she has faced cancer with courage, prayer and trust in God’s plan for her life. Through every trial, she has chosen hope and perseverance, inspiring all who love her. Her children and grandchildren call her living proof that miracles still walk this earth — a testament to the power of faith, family and the human spirit.

By David Perez, BA, Georgetown University School of Medicine and Rebecca I. Hartman, MD, MPH, Professor of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and member of the MRF Board of Directors

National data suggests Veterans are 1.7 times more likely to develop any skin cancer and 2.3 times more likely to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.¹ Other risk factors including age, sex, race, ethnicity, area of residence and work-related exposures to toxic chemicals and radiation from flight, have also been associated with increased skin cancer risk among Veterans, most of whom are non-Hispanic White men, older than 65, and reside in rural areas with restricted access to healthcare.^2-5 Although some studies have reported less use of sunscreen and shade as well as a lack of skin cancer risk knowledge in active duty service members,⁶ other studies have not replicated this finding in Veterans.¹ Additionally, from 2009 and 2017, Veterans experienced slightly lower five-year melanoma survival rates than the general US population, although Veterans experienced a significant improvement in metastatic disease survival from 2015-2017, more so than the general population, possibly reflecting improved access and/or improved response to new treatments like immunotherapy.^7-8 While new treatments such as immunotherapy have improved outcomes for Veterans with advanced melanoma, these treatments have high costs and potential side effects and not all patients respond, making efforts to reduce new cases of advanced melanoma critical in this high-risk population.^8-9 

Although the risk of any type of skin cancer is elevated among Veterans compared to the general population across age groups, fewer than one-third of Veterans report receiving a full-body skin exam.^1,10 Research suggests that for Veterans, seeing a dermatologist regularly, approximately every 6 to 12 months, may be associated with earlier detection of melanoma, before it becomes thick and harder to treat.⁴ Other studies indicate that biannually screening non-Hispanic White males aged 60 years or older, including Veterans in this demographic population, may be cost-effective, but more research is needed to examine the effect of tailored skin cancer screening in Veterans on skin cancer outcomes.^4,11 

To reduce skin cancer risk in this population, potential strategies include raising awareness about sun protection, making sunscreen more available, and providing personalized medical treatments.^12–14 Increasing access to dermatology care through teledermatology can also be useful, particularly for veterans in rural areas. Training primary care doctors to recognize concerning skin lesions would help ensure that Veterans receive timely care without needing dermatologic referrals and do not undergo unnecessary biopsies. Novel technologies may also improve the speed and access of skin cancer diagnoses, especially in rural populations.  

Melanoma represents a preventable yet fatal risk to Veteran health, making it an urgent public health concern. To address the elevated risk of skin cancer among Veterans, public health initiatives should prioritize education, early detection and improved access to care. Ongoing research is needed to better understand the factors driving this risk and to identify effective strategies for preventing and treating skin cancers in this population. 

References 

Rosenberg, A. R., Tabacchi, M., Ngo, K. H., Wallendorf, M., Rosman, I. S., Cornelius, L. A., & Demehri, S. (2019). Skin cancer precursor immunotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma prevention. JCI insight, 4(6), e125476. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.125476  

I trusted my gut (and really wanted glasses to match my twin sister) and got a second opinion. He dilated my eyes and instantly knew something was wrong. He could clearly see a melanoma tumor wrapped around my optic nerve and immediately called in for a same-day appointment with an ophthalmologist. My diagnosis was confirmed and I was off to Stanford to meet with an ocular oncologist just a couple days later. I had enucleation of my left eye two weeks after my wedding.

If it wasn’t for a dilated eye exam we wouldn’t have caught this scary tumor. We also learned I have the genetic condition BAP1 which causes all kinds of other cancers. I’m now being monitored regularly and am happy to say I’ve been cancer free since 2018!

Also, random side note: four months later I found out I had two (unrelated) brain aneurysms. One had started leaking — a precursor to rupture — and if it wasn’t for cancer and that feeling something was off, I’m positive I wouldn’t be here. Second random side note: my same optometrist found my friend’s brain tumor two years after he diagnosed me through a dilated eye exam!

A dilated eye exam started all of that and is the easiest way to detect ocular melanoma!

The scan showed something unusual. My eye was dilated, and my optometrist referred me to an ophthalmologist “just to be safe,” noting that he often sent patients for a second look. A few days later, with my husband waiting in the car because of pandemic restrictions, the ophthalmologist told me I had a large tumor in my eye, and with calm urgency said, “You have uveal melanoma.” I was shocked. They quickly arranged for me to see an ocular oncologist in the same practice just three days later.

After reviewing my case and measuring the tumor, the ocular oncologist presented two treatment paths: surgical removal of the eye (enucleation) or plaque radiation therapy. I decided to proceed with plaque radiation, fully aware that my vision in that eye could be significantly altered or even lost. When surgery began to place the plaque, he discovered that the tumor had grown another 15 to 20 percent in just those three weeks. He was stunned by its aggressiveness and later told me that had he known it would grow that rapidly, he likely would have recommended enucleation from the beginning.

Plaque radiation therapy involves a gold-plated disc embedded with radioactive seeds that is sutured directly onto the eye for several days, tailored precisely to the tumor’s size. Because mine was larger than originally planned, the plaque had to remain in place an additional day to ensure the radiation could reach the entire tumor. He warned me that the extended radiation exposure might severely damage my eye and that there was still a chance I could need enucleation in the future. My mindset at the time was: here we are, we will take it step by step. I held onto both my faith and my hope.

The recovery was long and often painful, and the aftermath has included three years of complications: high eye pressure, ongoing glaucoma treatment, and frequent specialist appointments. My vision is limited, and the eye certainly does not look the same, however it is still mine. You absolutely can live a full, normal, beautiful life with one functioning eye.

Uveal melanoma is rare, diagnosed in only about five out of one million people. Although the primary tumor is local to the eye, this cancer can metastasize, most commonly to the liver, but also to the lungs and bones. There is currently no cure. Recent advances, including a few newly FDA-approved treatments, are helping prolong life, although research still lags behind due to the cancer’s rarity.

Because of the metastatic risk, I have ongoing monitoring with scans every six months. I work with both an ocular oncologist and a medical oncologist. I recently reached the milestone of five years post-diagnosis, something that felt impossible in those first terrifying months. The follow-ups continue, although I move forward with gratitude.

Looking back, I will never forget the expression on my ocular oncologist’s face when I told him my last eye exam had been ten to fifteen years earlier. There is so much that can be seen through a simple eye exam. When life is busy and everything seems fine, annual appointments are the first thing we push aside. I did too. I thought I was healthy. I took my eyesight and my body for granted.

The experience changed everything. In many ways, I see more clearly today with one eye than I ever did with two. I see what matters: slowing down, paying attention, appreciating the ordinary moments, celebrating the gift of another day. There are challenges, of course. Life does not stop being messy. Yet there is overwhelming blessing in being here to witness it all.

My family and friends have been an unbelievable source of support throughout this entire journey, lifting me up through the hardest moments and celebrating each milestone alongside me.

If sharing my story encourages even one person to stop delaying their routine exams, to listen to their body, to take charge of their health, then I believe this journey has purpose. Schedule that eye exam. Get your eyes dilated. Keep up with your medical checkups. Do not wait for something to go wrong. Caring for your health is not an inconvenience. It is an investment in the life and future you want to experience.

I wake up each morning thankful that I am here to say these words. Thankful for the doctors who caught something I could not see. Thankful for that $40 decision. Thankful for every single new day.

“A little more than a decade ago, I noticed a mole on my leg that didn’t look quite right. I ignored it for a while because life was busy, and like a lot of people, I figured it was probably nothing. But when I finally got it checked out, the results were anything but routine. 

At first, I was diagnosed with stage III melanoma. We tried everything—surgery, drug therapies and monitoring. But within a year, the cancer had progressed. I was now stage IV, and my doctor sat me down and told me that he had run out of options. My best hope was to enroll in a clinical trial. 

That was one of the hardest moments of my life. Not just because of the diagnosis, but because of the overwhelming uncertainty. Suddenly, I was trying to navigate a complex healthcare system while also trying to stay alive. It felt like I was dropped into a maze without a map, which was confusing, isolating and terrifying. 

I found a trial, and it saved my life. The therapies being tested back then are now part of the standard of care. Today, I’m cancer-free, but that experience left a permanent imprint. It showed me firsthand how challenging and inaccessible parts of our healthcare system can feel, especially when you’re fighting for your life. 

That’s why I want to share my story, and why I want to encourage anyone facing a melanoma diagnosis to connect with the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF). 

Why Resources like MRF Matter 
When I was in the thick of treatment, it didn’t occur to me to ask for help. I wish I had. The MRF does more than just fund research, it gives people a place to turn when everything else feels uncertain. 

They’re making real impact. The MRF has invested more than $28 million in research grants, directly supporting breakthroughs like the one that saved my life. But their work doesn’t stop at funding science. They are active in federal and state advocacy, influencing legislation that makes clinical trials more diverse and accessible and addressing gaps in care, especially in rural and underserved areas. That’s a cause I care deeply about, because I know how much geography can limit access to lifesaving care. They also provide educational resources and support for patients, caregivers and the general public. 

Why I’m Speaking Up Now 
Going through cancer changes you. For me, it changed my purpose. Today, I work to help patients access the medicines and innovative treatments they need. But I’m also stepping into new roles: advocate, supporter and hopefully, a source of guidance for those traveling the path I once walked. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with melanoma or are supporting someone who has, know that you don’t have to face this alone. There are communities and resources, like the MRF, that are ready to help. I found so much strength from connecting with others, and now I’m here to pay it forward, because no one should have to face melanoma alone.”

“Excerpt from the DailyMail.co.uk health article published on October 12, 2025 by Alexa Lardieri, US Deputy Health Editor”

Allison Dashow says people often tell her to play the lottery, and after being diagnosed with a six in 1 million cancer, she agrees. The native New Yorker thought nothing of the ‘intermittent’ pain in her left eye that developed in April 2022 because she was used to having dry eyes. ‘I just thought, probably nothing serious. It’ll probably go away,’ Dashow, 29, told the Daily Mail. Two months later, the 26-year-old had just earned her doctoral degree in psychology and off handedly mentioned her pain to her therapist, who urged her to see a doctor. ‘[My therapist] said “It’s your eye. You should definitely take that seriously.” And what was kind of ironic is that I’m someone who’s always been on top of my medical issues. I’ll go to my appointments, I take my health seriously. ‘I do what I can. But this was the one time in my life that I actually wasn’t taking it seriously. I think because it was so intermittent and it wasn’t that uncomfortable.’

She called her local optometrist looking for an upcoming appointment, but they told her to come in right away after hearing her symptoms. While her doctor said ‘everything looked fine,’ he noted there was fluid buildup behind the retina and referred her to specialist. Dashow told the Daily Mail that the retina doctor performed several scans of her eye, including an ultrasound. ‘The doctor came in, he took a couple looks at my scans, and he said, “This is very interesting. I want to bring in my colleague.” ‘So at that point, I thought: “Oh gosh, I don’t want to be an interesting patient.” So the colleague came in, and they were just grilling me with a bunch of questions about family history and symptoms. ‘And they ended up saying, “The good news is it’s not eye cancer.” And I was like, “Great; I didn’t even know that was something we were considering, but I’m glad to know it isn’t.”

Dashow was initially diagnosed with choroidal neovascularization (CNV), a condition in which abnormal blood vessels grow in the choroid – the layer of tissue underneath the retina. This can damage the retina and lead to vision loss. CNV is typically caused by old age, degeneration of the eye, nearsightedness, complications from diabetes or other retinal diseases – none of which Dashow had. The doctors recommended injectable treatments be started right away, but Dashow sought a second opinion. A week later, she underwent more scans with a new doctor.

To read the full article, click here.