A melanoma survivor's story Only Possible Here
Stage IV melanoma survivor: An immunotherapy clinical trial saved my life
November 13, 2025
Medically Reviewed | Last reviewed by Rodabe Amaria, M.D., and Hussein Tawbi, M.D., on November 11, 2025
I’ve always had very fair skin and light-colored eyes. Over the years, I’ve had plenty of sun exposure, too — first as a geophysicist working outdoors and later as a swim mom spending hours on the pool deck. I knew I was at higher risk for skin cancer. Even so, I never imagined that one day I’d be diagnosed with stage IV melanoma — or that the only place it would be found was in my brain.
My diagnosis came in March 2016. I went to the emergency room because I wasn’t thinking clearly and couldn’t explain why. Scans showed more than a dozen tumors in my brain. Two were large enough to affect my thinking. The rest just appeared as bright spots on the imaging.
Hearing the words “stage IV metastatic melanoma” was terrifying, especially knowing how serious brain involvement could be. But I’d been volunteering at MD Anderson for many years by then, including in the Ben Love/El Paso Corporation Melanoma and Skin Center. So, I knew exactly where I was going for my melanoma treatment.
Taking a chance when the odds were low
Many people with advanced cancers aren’t considered for clinical trials if their prognosis is poor. Thankfully, Dr. Rodabe Amaria and Dr. Hussein Tawbi at MD Anderson thought differently. They were willing to explore treatment options for melanoma patients with brain metastases, which gave me a chance that many others wouldn’t have had.
The Phase II clinical trial Dr. Amaria told me about combined two immunotherapy drugs: ipilimumab — which was developed by Dr. Jim Allison — and nivolumab, another checkpoint inhibitor. It was led by Dr. Tawbi and ended up establishing a new treatment protocol as the worldwide standard of care for melanoma patients with brain metastases. It was amazing to be part of an investigational treatment that went on to become the new standard.
I’ve always believed deeply in the power of research. To me, research equals cures. And, I believe that when you give the body the right tools, it can sometimes do the impossible. So, I said yes.
I began receiving both drugs every two weeks. Three months later, at my first follow-up appointment, I learned the results: my scans were clear. I had absolutely no evidence of disease.
The cancer was gone. I couldn’t believe it.
Colleen Wittoesch hugs Nobel Laureate Jim Allison, Ph.D., at the public launch of Only Possible Here, The Campaign to End Cancer on Nov. 12, 2025.
A future I never expected
I am deeply thankful to Dr. Amaria for her dedication, which made this journey possible. When I was first diagnosed with cancer in 2016, doctors told me I might have four to six months to live. I never imagined I’d still be here in 2025.
But as of my most recent scans this March, I am still cancer-free. It has now been nine years since my cancer treatment ended — and that is a milestone no one expected.
Today, I am back at MD Anderson in a different role: I serve as a member of the Patient and Family Advisor Program. I share my story, advocate for research and support others who are considering clinical trials. I want people to know what is only possible here because of science, collaboration and determination.
Gratitude for immunotherapy research
Immunotherapy was still new when I first started treatment. Today, it is transforming cancer care. And, when MD Anderson opened the James P. Allison Institute in March 2022, it expanded the reach of this work even further. Now, it’s being used with more cancer types, in more combinations, and with growing success.
I've been waiting to meet Dr. Allison for years. That moment finally came on Nov. 12, 2025, when MD Anderson celebrated the public launch of Only Possible Here, The Campaign to End Cancer.
I got to thank Dr. Allison for his years of dedication to immunotherapy research. What he did all those years in the lab is mind-blowing. He kept pushing, and he kept saying, “I know this works.”
And I'm the proof. Immunotherapy works. It’s the reason I’m still alive and thriving.
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Colleen Wittoesch with her dog, Peony
I never imagined I’d still be here.
Colleen Wittoesch
Survivor