Legendary sports announcer Dick Vitale revealed via Twitter that he has been diagnosed with vocal cord cancer and will undergo six weeks of radiation treatments, according to ESPN.

The 84-year-old ESPN college basketball analyst said he plans to “fight like hell to be ready to call games when the college hoops season kicks off in the fall,” adding that his doctor “feels that scenario is entirely possible.”

This isn’t Vitale’s first experience with cancer. In 2021, the Hall of Famer was treated for melanoma and lymphoma and chronicled his treatments and recovery on social media. He celebrated being cancer-free in April 2022. He announced last month that he would take a two-month hiatus from sports commentating to rest his vocal cords following two surgeries.

Vitale continues to display vulnerability on Twitter by sharing his latest journey with his nearly 1 million followers. He also uses the platform to educate the public and raise awareness about cancer.

  

Vitale’s career has spanned decades thanks to his passion and deep knowledge of all things basketball. He has been with ESPN since its launch in 1979 and called the station’s first college basketball broadcast, according to The Associated Press.

He is also a philanthropist. He is on the board of directors of The V Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for cancer. Founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, the organization has raised over $200 million for cancer research.

“This time last year, I was on the ESPYS stage, asking everyone to help in the cancer fight,” Vitale wrote on Twitter. “This terrible disease strikes so many of our loved ones and it’s not knocked on my door three different times. More research will continue to help in this fight.”