Hall of Fame broadcaster Dick Vitale revealed Wednesday that he remains cancer free following a recent PET scan. The longtime ESPN college basketball analyst has undergone regular tests to monitor his health after a series of cancer diagnoses over the past four years. Vitale, 86, has celebrated several successful recoveries since December 2024, with follow-up scans in May 2025 confirming no evidence of disease.
Vitale’s return to broadcasting came earlier this year when he was courtside for then-No. 2 Duke’s matchup against Clemson in a marquee ACC game. It was his first on-air assignment in 22 months, following his previous broadcast on the international feed of the NCAA Tournament national championship between UConn and San Diego State on April 3, 2023.
Vitale’s cancer journey began in August 2021, when he announced treatment for melanoma. Two months later, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, and by December 2021, pre-cancerous dysplasia and ulcerous lesions on his vocal cords required multiple surgeries, leaving him temporarily unable to speak and sidelining him from broadcasting.
In August 2022, doctors confirmed the cancers were gone, though in July 2023 he faced a new diagnosis of laryngeal cancer, treated with six weeks of radiation. By the end of that year, he was again cancer free. In June 2024, Vitale underwent surgery for lymph node cancer, and by December 2024, tests confirmed the disease had been successfully treated.
A fixture at ESPN since the 1979-80 season, Vitale has called more than 1,000 games and is enshrined in both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Basketball Hall of Fame. Beyond the broadcast booth, he has raised tens of millions of dollars for pediatric cancer research through the V Foundation, cementing his legacy both on and off the court.
