Dick Vitale poses from a hospital bed following surgery. Credit: Dick Vitale on X
College BasketballESPNBy Ben Axelrod on

While Dick Vitale has been eyeing a return to the broadcast booth next season, the legendary college basketball analyst’s plans have recently hit a speed bump.

Last week, Dickie V revealed that a recent biopsy found cancer in his lymph nodes. Taking to X on Tuesday, the 85-year-old shared that he underwent surgery to remove the cancerous lymph node and that he’s currently awaiting a pathology report to determine whether any cancer remains.

“I’m in recovery after my surgery & the surgeon Dr Vosler removed the Lymph node that was cancerous & surrounding lymph nodes which he sent for a pathology report he stated & was pleased with what took place,” Vitale wrote, along with a picture of himself holding two thumbs up from a hospital bed. “Once again THANKS for all of your prayers.”

Vitale added in a subsequent post: “Dr Voslar my surgeon said he was pleased with how surgery went in removing cancerous Lymph Node in my neck Now we must wait for Pathology report on the lymph nodes he removed in the area of the cancerous one & waiting for the report is filled with anxiety.”

Vitale’s history with cancer dates back to 2021, when he was first diagnosed with melanoma and later lymphoma and pre-cancerous lesions on his vocal chords. While he was declared cancer free in 2022, he announced in July 2023 that he had been diagnosed with laryngeal cancer, which he underwent radiation therapy to treat.

As recently as June, Vitale had publicly stated his desire to return to college basketball broadcasts next fall after having not called a game in nearly two years. Here’s to hoping his upcoming pathology results help keep those plans on track.

[Dick Vitale on X]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

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