Hey Hey It's Saturday star's devastating diagnosis
<p dir="ltr"><em>Hey Hey It's Saturday</em> star John Blackman has been dealt a second blow by the same rare form of cancer.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The 74-year-old revealed in a lengthy post on Facebook that he was diagnosed with bone cancer a month ago.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The devastating diagnosis comes four years after he battled an aggressive form of skin cancer which saw surgeons replace his chin with a leg bone. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“Four weeks ago, I was diagnosed with a very unexpected bone cancer on the top of my noggin and the possibility of brain cancer beneath (yes, I actually do have a brain). This was the same aggressive cancer that took my jaw four years ago,” the TV personality wrote. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“Happily, the cancer (if there is a happy side to cancer) was spreading up and down and not in multiple directions. This could have made surgery improbable. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“Following PET and CAT Scans and a radioactive MRI, my plastic surgeon Frank consulted with my neurosurgeon, Patrick and together they devised a plan of attack.”</p>
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<p dir="ltr">The actor confirmed that he had already undergone an eight-hour surgery at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and is due to start six weeks of radiotherapy next week.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"The cancer infected bone has gone and been replaced with a titanium mesh cover; a skin graft has replaced all of the skin on top of my head; and brain biopsies taken during surgery are clear," he continued.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"A great result with enormous gratitude to the dedicated doctors and nurses at The Alfred – true heroes each and every one of them. Six weeks of daily radiotherapy begin next week."</p>
<p dir="ltr">Blackman had already returned home since the gruelling surgery, wearing a “Fight MND” beanie in support of footy legend Neale Daniher, who was diagnosed with the incurable disease in 2013.</p>
<p dir="ltr">He encouraged his legion of fans to donate to the Fight MND organisation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The star was also appointed as the Director in Charge of Creative Ideas for his wife Cecile’s YOU NEED A HUG start-up. “It was either that… or, ironing! It’s a fabulous concept,” he joked.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Back in 2018, Blackman was diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer known as basal-cell carcinoma.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It appeared to be a “little pimple” on his chin that just didn’t quite disappear, but then doctors feared it would spread to his brain if left untreated.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Blackman then had his jaw removed during a 10-hour operation and it was replaced with part of his leg bone.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“[My surgeon said] Well, just get prepared to not be able to do all the things you've been able to do for the past 50 years,' which is a bit of a kick in the guts," Blackman told A Current Affair at the time.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"To perform, you have to look good, you have to sound good, you have to sound confident and be confident. I just won't be able to do that anymore.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Life without doing that is just so alien to me. I mean, I don't know what I'm going to do." </p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>
