Longtime NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw diagnosed with cancer

By Eric Kelsey and Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Veteran news anchor Tom Brokaw, the face of "NBC Nightly News" for more than two decades, has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer affecting blood cells in the bone marrow, but is hopeful about the outcome of his treatment, the network said on Tuesday. Brokaw, 74, stepped down as anchor in December 2004 but has remained with the network as a special correspondent, currently covering the Winter Olympics coverage in Sochi, and has continued to work on NBC projects during his treatment, NBC News said in a statement. It said Brokaw and his physicians were "very encouraged with the progress he is making." In his own statement accompanying the network announcement, Brokaw said: "With the exceptional support of my family, medical team and friends, I am very optimistic about the future and look forward to continuing my life, my work and adventures still to come." He added, "I remain the luckiest guy I know." A South Dakota native who joined NBC in 1966, Brokaw served as White House correspondent during the Watergate scandal of the Richard Nixon administration and hosted NBC's "Today" show from 1976 until 1982.