A healthcare professional has revealed everything you need to know about melanoma after Brandon Blackstock died from the illness earlier this week.
The talent manager, who was married to singer Kelly Clarkson from 2013 to 2022, tragically passed away on August 7 aged 48 after being diagnosed with skin cancer three years ago.
Blackstock shared two children – River Rose, 11, and Remy, 9, – with Clarkson, and two more – Savannah, 23, and Seth, 19 – with his first wife Melissa Ashworth.
On August 11, the Silver Bow County coroner confirmed that Blackstock died of melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
A representative for Blackstock’s family told People in a statement: “It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away.
“Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
Meanwhile, Seth wrote on Instagram: “I lost my hero yesterday, words can’t describe how proud of you I am on raising me and your 3 other kids.
“There’s no one else on this earth that I would want to be my dad because no one can be half the man you were to me.”
Ashworth said: “On May 29, 1999 I married the man who would become the father of my children. Brandon was full of charm, wit, and just an absolute gentleman who happened to wear cowboy boots, wrangler jeans, and a cowboy hat.
“He was by far, hands down, the best Daddy and Pa. He loved hard and he fought hard.”
Shortly before Blackstock’s death was announced, Clarkson penned on Instagram: “Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas.
“While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them.
“I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”
Dubbed the ‘black tumor’, the American Academy of Dermatology Association estimated that a staggering one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and so experts are keen to raise as much awareness as possible of the early red flags to look out for.
Why is melanoma the most dangerous type of skin cancer?
Dr. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil told the New York Post: “Melanoma is considered the most dangerous type of skin cancer because it has a high potential to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body if not detected and treated early.”
The expert went on to tell the outlet how melanoma cells can spread to the organs and tissues via the bloodstream and lymphatic system faster than other skin cancer cells.
Dr. Viktoryia Kazlouskaya, CEO of the Dermatology Circle, explained how several factors contribute towards the risk of melanoma spreading, including the patient’s age and the size and stage of the tumor.
“Many skin cancers — for example, basal cell carcinoma — grow only on the skin and do not commonly spread,” the expert added.
What are the symptoms of melanoma?
Mudgil went on to explain some of the symptoms to look out for, including changes to an existing mole.
“Melanomas can appear as a new mole, a changing mole or a spot with an irregular shape, border or color, often with shades of brown, black, or even pink, red or white,” the doctor said.
“Things to look for are the ‘ABCDE’s’ of melanoma — asymmetry, border irregularity, color variability, diameter greater than 6 mm (which is the size of a pencil eraser), and last, evolution of an existing mole to exhibit any of the aforementioned qualities.”
Cleveland Clinic states that if you’ve had skin cancer before, have a family history of skin cancer, are fair-skinned and get sunburned easily, or spend a lot of time in the sun, then you have an increased risk of developing melanoma.