LOS ANGELES — NBC News says veteran newsman Tom Brokaw has cancer.
The network says Brokaw was diagnosed in August with multiple myeloma, a cancer affecting blood cells in the bone marrow. Doctors are optimistic about his treatment.
In a statement released by NBC, Brokaw says he remains the luckiest guy he knows, and he looks forward to continuing his life and his work. He says he wants to keep his illness a private matter.
A native of Yankton, S.D., Brokaw turned 72 on Feb. 6. He graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1964.
The onetime national news anchor is a special NBC News correspondent, and NBC says he has continued to work on projects during his treatment.