Like Alex Trebek, ESPN Sportscaster Dick Vitale, 85, Vows To Return To Work After Fourth Cancer Diagnosis

Resilience Is Key

• Beloved ESPN sports analyst Dick Vitale underwent surgery this week to remove cancerous lymph nodes, but has remain positive and vows to return to work after his other recent battle with vocal cord cancer.
• Vitale was previously diagnosed with melanoma in 2021, then lymphoma just months later. Then, in the midst of 2023, Vitale was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer, something he announced to have beaten by November of that year. His most recent diagnosis was cancerous lymph nodes, but he’s since had them taken out and is awaiting his pathology results.
• Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, also advocates for cancer warriors to prioritize their mental health. She noted that emotional well-being has been studied as a factor in patient outcomes. “We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” she told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
• Resilience is an important trait to have in the face of adversity such as cancer, like the types Vitale battled. SurvivorNet spotlighted this important cancer-fighting trait in the film “ Resilience ,” now streaming on SurvivorNet. It follows the lives of three athletes who are living with a health challenge yet overcame adversity.

Beloved ESPN sports analyst Dick Vitale, who was diagnosed with cancer for a fourth time and underwent surgery this week to remove lymph nodes, has insisted he will "win this battle." His surgery comes shortly after his recent vow to get back to work after battling vocal cord cancer and recovering from vocal cord surgery to make his voice stronger. The 85-year-old basketball sportscaster, known by his nickname "Dickie V," informed his fans last week , "My report on the Biopsy of the Lymph Node in my neck has arrived & it is cancerous. With all the I have received & the loving support of my family, friends & @espn colleagues I will win this battle. Surgery on Tues. will be a success. Thanks for All the prayers." RELATED: Stay Positive, It Matters In a followup post, he shared an image of himself in the hospital giving two thumbs up, writing that he's in recovery following his surgery. He also noted that the cancerous lymph nodes, as well as surrounding lymph nodes were successfully removed and sent in for a pathology report. https://twitter.com/DickieV/status/1808185093627744640 "Dr. Voslar my surgeon said he was pleased with how surgery went in removing cancerous Lymph Node in my neck," Vitale wrote in a Tuesday post, featuring a photo of him and his doctor. "Now we must wait for Pathology report on the lymph nodes he removed in the area of the cancerous one & waiting for the report is filled with anxiety." Vitale, a father-of-two and grandfather-of-five, however, is no stranger to cancer. He was previously diagnosed with melanoma in 2021, then lymphoma just months later. Then, in the midst of 2023, Vitale was diagnosed with vocal cord cancer, something he announced to have beaten by November of that year. https://twitter.com/DickieV/status/1808228126985466174 Despite the health battles that have been thrown his way, the former head coach of college and professional basketball teams insisted this past march he's aiming to get back to working for EPSN in the fall of 2024. His determination to push through hard times is certainly admirable. And although he hasn't been able to use his voice much, as he's been recovering from vocal chord surgery, he was able to release his new book "Until My Last Breath: Fighting Cancer With My Young Heroes." Speaking to USA TODAY Sports in March, Vitale admitted he was feeling "fantastic" and simply coping with the "frustrating" healing time after vocal chord surgery. He explained, "It will take more time before I get the strength back in my voice. The 35 radiation treatments I had for my vocal cord cancer wiped out the cancer but created some problems to my vocal cords.” Admitting he missed "so much the entire college spirit at the games," Vitale said he's planning to return to work in the fall. Vitale's resilience and passion to continue working and stick with what he loves reminds us of late "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trabek who continued working amid his arduous fight with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Finally Some Hope For The Disease That Took ‘Jeopardy’ Host Alex Trebek— 13% Uptick in Five-Year Survival Rate For Pancreatic Cancer Trebek died of pancreatic cancer after a year and a half of battling pancreatic cancer, an aggressive form of cancer. While some celebrities choose to keep their cancer battles private, the “Jeopardy!" star openly spoke about his treatment process with the public, and in doing so, educated millions on the disease. The iconic TV trivia show host underwent treatment throughout his cancer battle and hosted his final episode of "Jeopardy!" just eight days before he passed away peacefully at home.

Dick Vitale Maintains Vitality

After one of his earlier cancer diagnoses, Vitale insisted he did not want sympathy or praise, but instead aspired to inform the public how crucial early screenings are and how manageable some cancer can be when 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, for ESPN First Row. "Specifically, if you notice any 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." He added, "Luckily, I took care of it when I did, and I can't stress enough that you all should do the same. That's how I'm going to achieve my goal of sitting court side calling a game when I'm 100 years old!"

Working During Cancer Treatment

Vitale's willingness to continue working during or after cancer is something many SurvivorNet experts recommend patients do if they can continue working. “We always encourage people to continue to work if they can,” says Sarah Stapleton , a clinical social worker at Montefiore Medical Center. "I think it creates a sense of normalcy for patients.”

Coping With a Diagnosis

• Mental Health and Cancer — The Fight, Flight or Freeze Response
• Resilience: Staying Positive Despite Adversity
• The Power Of Prayer: The Remarkable Link Between Religion And Resilience
• 7 Cancer Survivors and Thrivers Tell Us How They Keep a Positive Attitude
• Psychologist Marianna Strongin Offers Advice On Managing Anxiety as a Cancer Patient or Survivor
• ‘How Much Will It Cost?’: A Guide to Coping With the Cost of Cancer Treatment

If you’re able to work, you’ll be busy, and you may not be worrying all the time about how your treatment is going, Stapleton adds. Sometimes, cancer can make you feel isolated and lonely, and being around people for work can alleviate feelings of loneliness. It’s important for you to have a conversation with your doctor before continuing to work during treatment. Ask your physician what you can and cannot do so you don’t disrupt ongoing treatment. Remember, sometimes cancer treatment can cause fatigue, leaving you unable to fulfill your duties as you once could. Fortunately, some on-the-job accommodations can make working during cancer treatment much easier. It’s important to remember people with job problems related to cancer are protected by the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may also benefit others. This law allows many people with serious illnesses to take unpaid leave to get medical care or manage their symptoms. WATCH: Will my cancer get me fired? Laurie Ostacher , a behavioral health clinician at Stanford Health Care, recommends cancer patients talk with their employer about accommodations they may need upon returning to work. “Patients need to let their employer know [they’re] going to need some flexibility… Because there are going to be days when you’re not as energetic or feeling as well as other days,” Ostacher explained. Your human resources department should be able to share with you your options. In some situations, employers must accommodate a qualified applicant or employee with a disability unless the employer can show it would be an undue hardship to do so. This could mean making changes to work schedules, equipment, or policies. ‘Adversity And The Art of Happiness:’ How Hardship Makes You Even Stronger

Finding Joy & Resilience Amid Cancer

When faced with a cancer battle it can be hard to focus on life outside of your disease. But it’s important to remember that your mental state can actually impact your success as a patient. “I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patients are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease,” Dr. Zuri Murrell , a colorectal surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.” Dr. Dana Chase , a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, also advocates for cancer warriors to prioritize their mental health. She noted that emotional well-being has been studied as a factor in patient outcomes. “We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Chase told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview. What Still Brings You Joy? Your Emotional Health is So Important “So, working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival,” Dr. Chase explained. “If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities.” She recommends writing down ten things that make you happy and intentionally making the time to do those activities throughout the day. WATCH: Defining and Building Resilience Remember, resilience, like Dick Vitale exudes, is an important trait, but not the easiest to build. The ultimate goal is not to avoid tough times, but to be able to bounce back from them. And yet, when they are faced with an overwhelming, life-changing situation, how do people shift their view? How do they learn to see the problem as temporary, rather than permanent, and figure out a solution? It’s complicated, because building resilience is more about your mental and emotional fortitude than anything else. According to the American Psychological Association , “the resources and skills associated with more positive adaptation (i.e., greater resilience) can be cultivated and practiced.” In other words, resilience is not something you’re born with, which should be encouraging. Instead, after every challenge in your life, you build more and more resilience to those hard times. You can build resilience the way you build muscle – through patience and steady exercise of the skill. Here are some lessons taken from Fischer, Runkel, and Soller, all who have spoke with SurvivorNet in earlier interviews.

• Be willing to learn. If one way doesn’t work, find a different way. If an obstacle lands in your way, build a path around it or over it. In Resilience, one of the athletes says, “You always have to be learning. Otherwise, life gets stagnant.” The more you learn, the more you grow and growth is a sign of resilience.
• Spend time with people who inspire you. Our world is filled with people who overcome challenges, and their success can energize you to overcome your own. Think about famous people who hava faced adversity and did not give up Stephen King actually threw his manuscript, Carrie, in the trash because it had been rejected by publishers so many times. His wife encouraged him to keep sending it out, and he finally sold it in 1974 launching a massively successful career as a novelist. Take the time to read and learn about the lives of Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, Bethany Hamilton, Nelson Mandela, and others.
• Allow yourself to grieve. Don’t push away or dismiss your frustration and sadness. Ben Fischer says that life can be filled with lots of crying, but “Those cries make us stronger.”
• Be flexible. Abandon the idea that there is only one solution or that you must stick to your original plan. The best solution or plan is the one that eventually works. You may need to change your original plan as the circumstances change.
• Lean in to your community. Your friends, colleagues, and family are invaluable, and when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed by a problem, their support can carry you. The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest study of human well-being. Many news outlets have covered its results, which show that maintaining strong, healthy relationships helped people live longer lives.   Psychiatrist and author Dr. Samantha Boardman tells SurvivorNet that connecting with and contributing to the lives of other people are two of “the three wellsprings of vitality” (the third is feeling positively challenged).

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff