Dick Vitale taking extended break from ESPN college hoops

By The Associated Press

Dick Vitale is taking an extended break from the airwaves to rest his voice. The ESPN college basketball analyst said in a story posted to ESPN Front Row that on a recent visit to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, throat specialist Dr. Steven Zeitels advised him to rest his voice because he has pre-cancerous Dysplasia of the vocal cord membranes. Vitale has undergone treatment this year for melanoma and announced in August that was declared cancer-free. In October, he announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer for a second time. The Hall of Fame announcer said tests showed he had lymphoma and the treatment plan involved steroids and six months of chemotherapy. He had planned to manage his work schedule around his chemotherapy schedule.