RHOBH Star Teddi Mellencamp’s Fight With Melanoma: From Diagnosis to Survival

In 2022, RHOBH alum Teddi Mellencamp avoided routine skin checks due to cancer anxiety until a dermatologic exam uncovered Stage II melanoma on her back, triggering 11 surgeries within a single year and confirming a strong predisposition to recurrent disease. By April 2025, a Super Bowl vacation turned into a medical emergency when persistent headaches led to the discovery of eight brain metastases and concurrent lung involvement, requiring urgent neurosurgical resection (four lesions removed), radiation therapy, and systemic immunotherapy. Treatment complications including severe steroid reactions left Mellencamp bald, visibly scarred, and confined to the ICU.

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Her raw Two T’s in a Pod podcast captured immunotherapy fatigue (Days 4-5 crashes) and vulnerability, culminating in late 2025’s “no detectable cancer” scans “shocked and numb” after tumors vanished. Stage IV melanoma’s 30% 5-year survival via anti-PD-1 proves early detection’s power, despite her initial denial.

2022: Stage II Discovery After Avoidance

Teddi Mellencamp skipped annual skin checks for years due to cancer anxiety until RHOBH co-star Kyle Richards insisted she see a dermatologist. A March 2022 back mole biopsy confirmed Stage II melanoma requiring wide excision. That same month, doctors found two additional cancerous lesions, warning of genetic predisposition. By December, 11 melanomas + 3 lymph nodes were surgically removed in one major procedure; genetic testing showed no concerning mutations but mandated q3-month scans. Her Instagram revealed the back scar: “Stage 2 melanoma… I share because your messages tell me you’re getting tested.”​

2023: Predisposition Confirmed

Six more surgeries addressed recurrent spots totaling 17 melanomas excised by year-end. The “predisposed” label triggered aggressive surveillance; new lesions appeared within weeks of clearance, including chest/neck sites. Wide local excisions with 1-2cm margins became routine, leaving visible scars she documented openly: “Every 3 months feels like Groundhog Day.” No mets detected yet, but vigilance escalated.​

Stage IV Crisis (2025)​

During a family Super Bowl LVIII trip in February 2025, Teddi Mellencamp dismissed worsening headaches as stress until emergency imaging revealed eight plum-sized brain metastases plus two lung tumors Stage IV melanoma despite q3-month surveillance. Rushed to Cedars-Sinai, she underwent emergency craniotomy resecting the four largest occipital/temporal lesions (reducing mass effect); stereotactic radiosurgery targeted the remaining four smaller mets.​

Post-op prednisone reaction (steroid psychosis + rash) triggered 17-day ICU stay with sepsis workup, halting immunotherapy start. Once stabilized, pembrolizuma (anti-PD-1, 200 mg q3w) began likely selected for MSI-H potential or high tumor burden. By October 2025 scans, “no detectable cancer” across brain/lungs stunned her oncologist: “I was shocked and numb.” Grade 3 fatigue/arthralgias persisted, but tumor markers normalized.

Teddi Mellencamp: Survivorship & Scars

Teddi Mellencamp’s melanoma journey has left lasting physical and emotional marks that extend far beyond treatment completion. Sixteen surgeries—ranging from wide local excisions to craniotomy resulted in permanent bald patches from steroid-induced alopecia, visible chest and back scars, and a 30-pound weight gain driven by prednisone’s metabolic effects during a 17-day ICU admission. Immunotherapy brought its own burden, with grade 3 fatigue peaking on days 4–5 post-infusion, often confining her to bed, while persistent arthralgias curtailed the intense fitness routine that once defined her life. Emotionally, uncertainty proved the greatest challenge; she later admitted that dismissing headaches during Super Bowl 2025 delayed recognition of brain metastases, reshaping her approach to self-advocacy “trust your instincts” becoming her guiding principle.

Supported by her husband Edwin Arroyave and their five children, including daughter Slate, who created “Mom Strong” drawings during her ICU stay, Mellencamp transformed survivorship into advocacy. Through candid social media outreach, she now urges regular dermatologic screening for women in their 30s and 40s, crediting Kyle Richards with prompting the exam that changed her life. Her scars, once hidden, now serve as visible reminders of how early detection and immunotherapy have expanded survival possibilities even in stage IV melanoma.

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How Melanoma Survival Rates Improved Over the Last 20 Years

Melanoma survival rates have dramatically improved over the last 20 years due to immunotherapy and targeted therapies. Verified 5-Year Relative Survival Data shows Overall Melanoma: 2004-2005 at 90% (SEER 2001-2005 data) rising to 2015-2021 at 94.7% (SEER 21, excluding IL) [+4.7% absolute gain]. By Stage (SEER Data): Localized 98.4% (2004-2010) to 99.4-100% (2015-2021, +1%); Regional 65% to 75.7% (+10.7%); Distant (Stage IV) 15-19% to 34.6-35.6% (+16-19%).​

Key Drivers of Stage IV Gains include 2011 Ipilimumab approval (ORR 10-15%, OS 25% → 2yr); 2014 Nivolumab/pembrolizumab (ORR 33-40%, OS 52% 3yr); 2015 BRAF/MEK inhibitors (ORR 70%, OS 3yr 50%); and CheckMate-067 Nivo+ipi at 52% 5-year OS (vs 20% historical). Teddi Mellencamp Context: Stage IV “no detectable cancer” post-pembrolizumab reflects 19% absolute survival gain since 2005 diagnosis era.​ Okelue E Okobi Cureus. 2024 Oct.

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Written by Aharon Tsaturyan, MD, Editor at OncoDaily Intelligence Unit