ESPN analyst Dick Vitale says he has been diagnosed with vocal cord cancer.
“I’m sorry to share that I received tough news today from Dr. ( Steven) Zeitels about my throat,” Vitale wrote on Twitter. “The tests on the tissues they removed showed that I have vocal cord cancer and will need six weeks of radiation to treat it. Dr. Z tells me that it has an extremely high cure rate, and that radiation, not surgery is the best path.
“I plan to fight like hell to be ready to call games when the college hoops season tips off in the Fall. Dr. Z feels that scenario is entirely possible. I want to say that I have been so touched by the tweets, texts, notes, and prayers, and will ask all of you to continue to send positive vibes.”
Vitale, one of the most recognizable voices in US sports announcing known for his bombastic style and love of the game, has previously had lengthy battles with lymphoma and melanoma.
He announced in 2021 that he had lymphoma having already had several surgeries to get rid of melanoma, before saying last year that he was finally cancer free.
However, the 84-year-old revealed that after undergoing tests in hospital, a pathology report deduced that he had vocal cord cancer, saying that he plans “on winning this battle like I did vs Melanoma & Lymphoma!”
Back at hotel- Dr Zeitels informed me that he removed tissues on my vocal cords to be analyzed by pathologists . Will have analysis when I meet with him at 1pm Wed. Report will define whether Dysplasia ( pre cancer ) or cancer.That info will determine plan for treatment. pic.twitter.com/CvsJuTcJ25
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) July 11, 2023
“This time last year, I was on the ESPYS stage, asking everyone to help in the cancer fight. This terrible disease strikes so many of our loved ones, and it’s now knocked on my door three different times. More research will continue to help in this fight.”
Last year, Vitale was honored at the ESPYs as the winner of the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance – the award is named after Vitale’s longtime friend, Jim Valvano, another coach turned analyst who died of cancer.
Vitale added: “I’m grateful to my immediate family as well as my ESPN family for their incredible support, and so appreciative of the outstanding team of medical experts whose dedication has such a positive impact on so many lives.”
According to Johns Hopkins, an estimated 10,000 cases of vocal cord cancer are diagnosed in the US each year.