Charlotte Fowler, 29, Undergoes Chemotherapy After Stage 4 Melanoma Diagnosis
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Jun 14
Charlotte Fowler, 29, Undergoes Chemotherapy After Stage 4 Melanoma Diagnosis
1 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Jun 14
Summary
Chemotherapy tablets are now Charlotte Fowler’s current treatment after immunotherapy failed and February 20 spinal surgery stabilized vertebrae from T2 to T8 while removing a tumor from T5.
A CT scan finally revealed metastatic disease after months of back pain, a neck lump and a swollen, rock-hard stomach were initially assessed as weight gain, a cyst and then constipation.
Stage 4 melanoma had already caused ascites—7 liters of fluid were drained from her abdomen—and scans found spinal fractures that explained her severe body aches.
Fowler, a 29-year-old from Perth, Australia, says the delayed diagnosis upended her life, leaving her unable to work, travel or live alone as she urges young people to press doctors when symptoms persist.