Dick Vitale revealed Thursday he was diagnosed with melanoma earlier this summer, but he is now "cancer clear” ahead of the 2021-22 college basketball season.
In a post for ESPNFrontRow.com, Vitale detailed his diagnosis and encouraged others to get checked if there's an abnormal growth on their body. The legendary college basketball announcer said some skin that had been removed from above his nose after he tested positive for melanoma.
Vitale went in for surgery on June 28 to have the growth removed.
"It helped that we caught it early, and I was thrilled to learn it hadn’t spread," Vitale wrote. "The bottom line is they removed all cancer cells, and I was relieved, big time, to be cancer clear."
Vitale underwent four additional procedures to sew up the area on his face. The ESPN star joked Thursday, "we all know I’m never going to look like Tom Cruise. I’ve got no hair on my dome and I’ve got a body by linguini."
As Vitale continues to heal from the cosmetic procedures, the 82-year-old said he's ready to begin his 43rd season calling college basketball games for ESPN.
"Take care of you. If you see or feel something, even if it’s not bothering you or infected, get it evaluated," Vitale wrote. "Melanoma is serious and it can spread to your organs. Doctors told me that a typical basal cell skin cancer is like getting gently brushed by a bicycle, while melanoma is like getting hit by a truck."
