Eric Shawn says he has 9/11-related cancer and respiratory illness
The Fox News correspondent disclosed two World Trade Center Program diagnoses while reporting at the 24th anniversary observance in Lower Manhattan as officials note rising numbers of post‑9/11 illnesses
Fox News correspondent Eric Shawn disclosed on the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks that he has been diagnosed with cancer and a respiratory illness he attributes to exposure to toxic dust from the World Trade Center site.
Shawn revealed the diagnoses during a live report on Fox & Friends from Lower Manhattan, saying he has “two different diagnoses under the World Trade Center Program,” the federal program that provides monitoring and treatment for survivors, responders and others affected by the attacks. He said his respiratory issue was related to bronchitis and that his cancer diagnosis came this year.
“It is hard to believe that it has been nearly a quarter of a century since that day,” Shawn said while reporting from a gathering of survivors, families, first responders and public officials. He urged remembrance of those killed in the attacks and of those who continue to suffer from related illnesses, saying, “We’re all in this together.”
Shawn recounted his own exposure: he was reporting below Canal Street in Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the attacks and said that placed him among those who were exposed to the toxic dust. “Back then, I remember thinking, maybe in 20, 30 years later I’ll get something. Well, here it is, 24 years,” he said, adding that he considers himself fortunate compared with others who face more severe illness.
Federal and public health data underscore the longer-term health toll linked to the attacks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures cited by advocacy groups show about 48,000 people have reported 9/11-related cancers, with nearly 10,000 diagnoses recorded in the past year. More than 3,700 first responders have died since the attacks, including about 2,300 whose deaths were associated with cancer. The Fire Department of the City of New York has lost 409 members to post‑9/11 illnesses.
The World Trade Center Health Program was established to provide medical monitoring and treatment for those affected by dust, smoke and other hazards from the attacks at the World Trade Center site in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The program covers a range of respiratory conditions, cancers and mental health conditions linked to exposure.
Public officials, survivors and family members gathered at memorials in Lower Manhattan and elsewhere to mark the anniversary and to remember both those killed on Sept. 11, 2001, and those who have since died or become ill. Shawn, who said he has lost friends to 9/11-related disease, called on the nation to continue condemning the attack and supporting those still suffering from its health consequences.
Shawn’s disclosure comes amid ongoing attention to the long-term medical effects of the attacks, the work of monitoring programs and recent reports indicating an increase in reported cancer cases tied to Sept. 11 exposures. Federal programs and advocacy groups continue efforts to identify, track and treat individuals with conditions linked to that day’s environmental hazards.