Broadcasting icon Dick Vitale is going to fight cancer again. Most of us are scared of even one such diagnosis destroying our life. But after beating it four times before, Vitale is dealing with the illness head-on.

Vitale was diagnosed with melanoma in his lung and liver after a biopsy. He also confirmed that he will start his immunotherapy treatment immediately. He has already faced melanoma before this, and despite its recurrence, he is staying positive and not letting the setback decide his outcome.

“I’ve beaten melanoma,” Vitale said in a statement released by ESPN. “I’ve beaten lymphoma. I’ve beaten vocal-cord cancer. I’ve beaten lymph-node cancer. I’m 4 for 4, and I’m fully confident I’m going to make it 5 for 5.”

After going through multiple days of testing, doctors had found abnormalities, which prompted the biopsy. Vitale confirmed in a statement that he was extremely “nervous” about the results when the tests were going on. But even though this is not the news he’d wanted, he will not back down from living life to the fullest.

“I plan to remain as active as ever and fight as hard as can be,” he shared in a statement. And, despite the hardship of the illness, Vitale said that he still feels “fantastic.”

Vitale had only rejoined ESPN in February 2025, after a two-year break spent fighting his previous diagnosis of cancer. Last year marked his 46th season in broadcasting. At 86, he remains one of the most iconic voices in college basketball. He joined ESPN back in 1979, and he is now close to completing almost 50 years with the network. He also has a contract that keeps him working through the 2027–28 season.

From starting as a high school coach at East Rutherford to winning two state championship titles with them, to coaching the University of Detroit and the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, he remained a very important part of the sport. His experience and intellect shaped him into being an icon in the college basketball media sphere.

Dick Vitale’s achievements that makes his a legendary figure

With that confidence and clear mindset, he is all set to fight against the disease and come back strong, as he has added more major milestones to his resume. He is one of the most influential voices in college basketball and has called more than 1,000 NCAA games during his long career.

That dedication forced ESPN to create a special event after him, which is called the Dick Vitale Invitational, to honor him and his impact on the game. The first edition of this event was the Texas Longhorns and the Duke Blue Devils clash that was held at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina this season.

‘Dickie V,’ as he was admirably known by fans and fellow broadcasters, also had some classic catchphrases. People know him for saying things like “Awesome baby!” and “Diaper dandy.” He also uses fun and exciting phrases during games, such as “Get a TO baby,” “super scintillating sensational,” “dipsy-doo dunkeroo,” and “Awesome baby, with a capital A!”

Dick Vitale was part of the crew that broadcast the first NCAA Basketball game for ESPN, and has been an anchor in the network’s programming till date. Vitale was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 40th Sports Emmys. He was also inducted into the Broadcast and Cable Hall of Fame in 2025.

“To think it’s been 40 years, I don’t know where the decades have gone,” Vitale told Awful Announcing in 2019. “But really as people say, when you’re having fun doing what you’re doing, love what you’re doing, it just flies. And it’s flown for me.”

Dick Vitale is a major supporter of The V Foundation for Cancer Research, and he has helped raise more than $100 million for pediatric cancer research. His work has made a big difference in helping children fight cancer.

Fighting cancer is never easy. But Vitale has shown how much zeal is still left in him, by choosing to lock horns with the devastating illness for a fifth time. Fans will hope that they get to hear “Awesome, baby,” sometime in the future.