Dick Vitale Announces Lymphoma Diagnosis, Plans to Continue ESPN Broadcasts

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale announced Monday he has been diagnosed with lymphoma. 

Vitale, 82, announced in August he underwent multiple surgeries to remove melanoma. He said Monday the lymphoma diagnosis is believed to be unrelated, adding "the treatment plan for this lymphoma is going to be a lot tougher."

"For the second time in just a few months, I’ve been diagnosed with a form of cancer," Vitale said in a statement. "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 plan is to treat my lymphoma with steroids and six months of chemotherapy. The medical experts tell me it has a 90-percent cure rate."

Vitale said Monday he plans to continue working for ESPN as he undergoes chemotherapy, noting he will manage his college basketball schedule around his chemotherapy.

"I am lucky and blessed to have a great team of medical experts along with wonderful family support. I am also blessed to work with so many in my second family, ESPN," Vitale said. "They have been so encouraging over the past three weeks as I’ve undergone one test after another in trying to analyze what was causing my symptoms."

Vitale has been with ESPN since the network's first year in 1979. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. 

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