Dick Vitale Receives Second Cancer Diagnosis in Recent Months

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ESPN sportscaster and former basketball coach Dick Vitale announced this week that he received a diagnosis of lymphoma – only two months after a melanoma scare in August.

“For the second time in just a few months, I’ve been diagnosed with a form of cancer. As a result of some symptoms I’ve had in recent weeks, I’ve been undergoing tests and doctors have now confirmed it’s lymphoma,” the 82-year-old said in a statement on ESPN Front Row.

Vitale said that the lymphoma is believed to be unrelated to the melanoma diagnosis, which has been “totally cleared.”

The lymphoma will be treated with steroids and six months of chemotherapy, and Vitale said that medical experts told him that he can continue to work.

“With all that said, I consider myself very lucky. 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,” he said.

Vitale partnered with the V Foundation in an effort to improve outcomes for children diagnosed with cancer. Now, he said that he will “fight with all my heart” so that he can live out his promise to one of his “All Courageous” kids, Tony Colton, who died in July 2017.

“I made Tony a promise, which is why I will beg and plead until my last breath. My goal is to get back to doing that more than ever, along with my fabulous teammates who work with and support The V Foundation for Cancer Research,” Vitale said.

Read more: Never Ever Give Up: Dick Vitale’s Passion for Fighting Pediatric Cancer

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