Famed ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale is .
Vitale said Monday that biopsy results had confirmed a diagnosis of melanoma in his lung and liver cavity, which will have him starting immunotherapy. It marks his fifth battle with cancer, which sidelined him from the airwaves for two years before his return shortly before March Madness in 2025.
鈥淚’ve beaten melanoma,鈥� the 86-year-old Vitale said . 鈥淚’ve beaten lymphoma. I’ve beaten vocal-cord cancer. I’ve beaten lymph-node cancer. I’m 4 for 4 and I’m fully confident I’m going to make it 5 for 5.”
Separate from his ESPN statement, Vitale that he had gone through 10 days of testing that included scans, MRIs, bloodwork and a biopsy.
“I obviously did not get the report today that I was hoping for when my oncologist called,鈥� Vitale said, noting he planned on 鈥渨inning the battle鈥� and adding: 鈥淣ow at least I know what I face.鈥�
Vitale has made himself a fixture in college basketball, earning the affectionate nickname 鈥淒ickie V鈥� with his voice and exuberant style offering a soundtrack to some of the biggest moments in the sport’s history. He’s inching closer to five decades with ESPN going back to its 1979 launch, armed with a contract through the 2027-28 season as well as this past season.
And every step of the way he’s quick to tell anyone and everyone how 鈥渓ucky鈥� he feels to still be working after years of fighting cancer.
That started in 2021 with melanoma, followed by treatments for lymphoma. There were also chemotherapy treatments, radiation for vocal-cord cancer and surgery by summer 2024 to remove cancerous lymph nodes from his neck, while he was unable to speak for a time after the vocal-cord surgery, leaving him having to scribble on eraser-board messages to communicate.
Still, Vitale said in his ESPN statement that he feels 鈥渇antastic.” And he quickly turned the focus of his statement to his long-running efforts to raise money for pediatric cancer research, notably with that has raised more than $105 million in its two-decade history.
鈥淎t 86 years young, I’ve lived a hell of a life, and I’m more motivated than ever to raise money for kids battling cancer,鈥� Vitale said, adding that he hopes to raise $12 million with the 21st 鈥淒ick Vitale Gala鈥� set for May 1 in Sarasota, Florida.
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