Legendary Sportscaster Dick Vitale, 82, Reveals Skin Cancer Battle, Says ‘Early Detection’ Saved His Life

The longtime ESPN commentator soon found himself undergoing surgery to remove the problematic cells, a process that thanks to early detection required just one visit to cut out the cancer and no targeted therapy.

Vitale admits he did have to make four more trips to the surgeon so that he could have the area properly sewn up, but said the threat of unsightly scars is of very little concern.

“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,” joked Vitale. “Fortunately, I continue to heal from those cosmetic surgeries, and it's working out fine. I'm in good shape and will be ready to start my 43rd season calling ESPN college basketball games at age 82.”

Related: 'God Protect My Babies': How Parents of Kids With Cancer Are Preparing For Maskless School Amid COVID Surge

Vitale says the reason he chose to share his story was not for sympathy or praise, but rather to let the public know how crucial early screenings are and how manageable some cancer can be when it is detected in its early stages.

“If you take nothing else away from my personal cancer story, please remember this DON'T WASTE TIME!” wrote Vitale. “Specifically, if you notice any kind of growth, mole or skin abnormality, please get yourself checked out immediately. It's important. I want to deliver that message loud and clear. I'm lucky.”

Vitale, who has long been a champion for early detection, is also on the board of the V Foundation for Cancer Research. That non-profit group was created by ESPN and commentator Jim Valvano in 1993 shortly before his death from an adenocarcinoma.

“Luckily, I took care of it when I did and I can't stress enough that you all should do the same,” wrote Vitale. “That's how I'm going to achieve my goal of sitting courtside calling a game when I'm 100 years old!”

Related: Actor Ryan Reynolds Describes Working With Late & Great Alex Trebek On New Movie 'Free Guy' Before Passing From Pancreatic Cancer

Examining Your Skin for Melanoma: Remember ABCDE

Doing regular self-checks on your skin is important to find skin cancer early. If you're high-risk, it’s especially vital. Dr. Cecilia Larocca, a dermatologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, recommends looking at your skin once a month for anything suspiciousand using the acronym ABCDE as a checklist:

Asymmetrical moles: if you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?

Borders: irregular, jagged, not smooth; can also stand for bleeding

Colors: multiple distinct colors in the mole

Diameter: larger than 6mm, about the size of a pencil head eraser

Evolution: This may be the most important, anything that is changing over time such as gaining color, losing color, painful, itching, hurting, changing shape, etc…

Surgery is the Best Option for Melanoma

“The gold standard for treatment of melanoma is surgical treatment with wide margins,” says Dr. Nima Gharavi, director of dermatologic surgery at Cedars-Sinai.

In some cases of early-stage melanoma that is close to the skin surface, Mohs surgery might be offered at some institutions. Mohs surgery is a microscopically controlled surgery that removes skin cancer by conservatively cutting along the entire margin until the surgeon reaches clear tissue. It’s most often used to remove other skin cancers like basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.

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