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ESPN announcer Dick Vitale shares he is cancer-free

In July the 82-year-old popular U.S. sports broadcaster revealed publicly that he was again battling cancer after previous health battles.
Dick Vitale.
Posted at 7:33 PM, Dec 15, 2023

ESPN sports announcer Dick Vitale announced this week that doctors told him he is cancer-free. Vitale said that after a PET scan he learned of the good news, writing that "Santa came early" for him and his family this year. 

He said that after 35 radiation treatments, his voice has been affected, but signaled that he is in good spirits and is hopeful that he will recover. He thanked his fans and the ESPN audience for their "incredible support."

In July he was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer, making it his third cancer diagnosis after his melanoma and lymphoma diagnoses. 

ESPN Announcer Dick Vitale Shares Lymphoma Diagnosis
Sportscaster Dick Vitale broadcasts

ESPN Announcer Dick Vitale Shares Lymphoma Diagnosis

The 82-year-old says this diagnosis and another diagnosis from August are unrelated.

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In 2021, Vitale revealed publicly that he was again battling cancer, that time after a diagnosis with lymphoma. The popular basketball analyst made the news public after having been diagnosed with cancer previously. 

In August of that year he underwent multiple surgeries to remove melanoma and was later informed he was cancer-free at that time. Vitale said his multiple diagnoses were unrelated, according to doctors. 

He underwent months of chemotherapy treatments to try to improve his prognosis. 

Vitale has been broadcasting college basketball games since 1979 and had planned to return to work for the 2023-2024 college basketball season.