Longtime 'NBC Nightly News' host Tom Brokaw diagnosed with cancer

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran news anchor Tom Brokaw, an institution of broadcast journalism for more than two decades as the face of "NBC Nightly News," has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer affecting blood cells in the bone marrow, the network said on Tuesday.

Brokaw, 74, who retired as anchor in late 2004 but remains with the network as a special correspondent, currently contributing to the Winter Olympics coverage in Sochi, was said by the network to be "very encouraged with the progress he is making" in his medical treatment.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Dan Whitcomb)

[Image via Tom Brokaw Facebook fan page]