Dick Vitale gives update on his battle with cancer after 85-year-old ESPN legend underwent surgery

Legendary ESPN college basketball announcer Dick Vitale has given an update on his condition after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous lymph node.

A week ago, Vitale announced that his cancer has returned and that a biopsy on a lymph node came back positive.

It's Vitale's fourth cancer battle in the span of three years, with the announcer undergoing surgery this week to remove the node and some surrounding ones. 

Vitale posted an update on Friday afternoon, revealing that he still has some ways to go to treat his cancer.  

'Dr BROWN oncologist & Dr VOSLAR surgeon who removed the cancerous lymph node in my neck gave me the PATHOLOGY report -Dr Voslar removed 26 lymph nodes that surrounded the cancerous one & 1 has comeback with a chance to be cancerous. Both Dr’s suggest to do 6weeks RADIATION,' Vitale posted on Twitter.

'They want to wait until Thursday for definite course of treatment as my case is going to be analyzed by the TUMOR BOARD of Sarasota Memorial Hospital who meets to study various cases. 

'They will study under [microscope] the 26 lymph nodes that were removed & especially the one that is potentially cancerous. After that I will follow the treatment that is recommended. They are leaning to 6 weeks of Radiation to wipe out any chance of cancer spreading. Not what I wanted to hear but I will NEVER EVER GIVE UP.'

This is not Vitale's first fight against cancer. In August of 2021, Vitale revealed he was being treated for melanoma and was diagnosed with lymphoma that October.

In August of 2022, Vitale revealed that he was cancer free. But less than a year later, in July of 2023, doctors diagnosed him with vocal chord cancer. Back in December of 2023, Vitale revealed that he was once again cancer free after weeks of radiation treatment.

Vitale was a former head coach at the University of Detroit in the early-to-mid 1970s and coached the NBA's Detroit Pistons for two seasons.

He then joined ESPN shortly after the network officially launched back in 1979 - where he has since become commonly known throughout college basketball circles for his creativity and enthusiasm behind the microphone. 

Vitale was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.