Legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale will miss the rest of the 2021-22 season due to throat surgery, he announced on Monday evening.

Vitale has been fighting cancer for the last few months, but has been on the call for a couple marquee games on ESPN. He’s planning to return to the booth for next season.

Vitale has also been diagnosed with dysplasia on the vocal cords, which is the reason for his surgery. He’s been out of the booth for the last three weeks while he rested his voice.

“So, while I’m heartbroken that I won’t appear on ESPN for the rest of this season, I’m encouraged by the progress,” Vitale wrote on ESPN’s Front Row. “In fact, it appears that by resting my voice for the past three weeks, I’ve reduced the inflammation by 60 percent. Let’s hope the added rest will help it heal some more, and things will look even better when I go for my next follow-up visit on Feb. 16. Once the inflammation heals, we will set a date for surgery.

“My throat’s condition is clearly moving in the right direction, and Dr. Z. is very optimistic that this can be successfully treated to have me strong for the 2022-23 season on ESPN.”

Here’s a few photos from Vitale’s doctor’s appointment in Boston:

ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro also released a statement.

“Dick Vitale is rightfully synonymous with college basketball, and his absence from the telecasts the rest of this season will leave an irreplaceable void,” Pitaro said in a release. “We at ESPN join the millions of fans who can’t wait to have him back calling games from inside arenas whenever he is ready.”