College basketball commentator Dick Vitale, a Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer who for the last four decades has served as an ESPN personality, revealed on Monday that he has been diagnosed with lymphoma, a rare form of cancer. It’s the second time in the span of a few months he has been diagnosed with cancer after announcing in August a melanoma diagnosis that required multiple surgeries.
Vitale has been cleared of the melanoma diagnosis already but will have to undergo six months of chemotherapy and a steroid regimen to fight the lymphoma. He credits early detection for his diagnosis in both cases and after experiencing recent symptoms and quickly getting a diagnosis, his doctors say that the lymphoma has a 90% cure rate.
“With all that said, I consider myself very lucky,” he said in a statement from ESPN. “I’ve seen firsthand the devastation that cancer can have on families, on children, and on all of our loved ones. It can bring you to your knees. It’s physically and emotionally exhausting. It robs you of so many things, including life itself for some of the most unfortunate patients. I never lose sight of that, and that’s why I feel so lucky.”
Vitale, 82, plans to continue broadcasting college basketball games this upcoming season around his chemotherapy schedule while they closely monitor his test results.
