JARRYD Roughead has received "some positive news" in his fight against melanoma, but the Hawthorn spearhead says it's too early to tell when he might return to football.

Roughead has stepped away from the game since a recurrence of melanoma was detected in his lungs in May, after spreading from his lip. 

The 29-year-old is undergoing 12 months of immunotherapy treatment and has battled up and down patches over the past four months. 

But the star forward has tried to keep a normal routine and has joined in training and been around the club helping his teammates during their quest for a record-equalling four-straight premierships. 

"I'm good at the moment. I obviously had a bit of a rough period there probably two months ago, I dropped a bit of weight getting used to the treatment," Roughead told 3AW. 

"But I've been good the past month or so and been able to be around the boys and have a bit of fun, which is what you want. 

"That place is like a second home to me so being able to hang around the boys this time of year is obviously a good time of year." 

Roughead hasn't played since last year's Grand Final after PCL surgery and struggled at times with the thought of missing out on another flag. 

"Definitely in the middle point of the year when I was a bit flat with what was going on, you'd think about it every time because I don't think we'd lost one (a game) since May," he said.

"So that thought of if we do win 'what if?', but at the end of the day if they were to win another one and I could contribute by helping out boys like (James) Sicily and these other young forwards, and in 20 years time when they do the reunion and I'm still around that will be a pretty good thing as well."

Roughead isn't certain when he will return to football, but making his comeback to the sport he loves is only a secondary concern for the four-time premiership Hawk.

"I don't know. I've had some positive news the last few weeks and the initial diagnosis was 12 months of this treatment, so whether or not we have to do that – 12 months would mean I'd be out until June – so I've got my head around that and anything else is a bonus," Roughead said.

"But footy does come second with this kind of thing. I'd love nothing more than to be out there but obviously health comes No.1 and I'll just worry about that."