Fox News Correspondent Eric Shawn Discloses 9/11-Linked Cancer Diagnosis
Shawn told colleagues on the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks that he was diagnosed this year with cancer he said stemmed from exposure to toxic dust at Ground Zero.
Eric Shawn, a longtime Fox News correspondent who reported on the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and their aftermath, told viewers and colleagues on Thursday that he was diagnosed this year with cancer he said stemmed from exposure to toxic dust that engulfed Lower Manhattan after the attacks.
Speaking on the network's morning program Fox & Friends on the 24th anniversary of the attacks, Shawn said he first developed bronchitis in the years after covering the disaster and that medical providers later identified cancer this year. “That was diagnosed this year,” he said on air, adding that illnesses tied to the exposure have tended to appear decades after the event. “Maybe 20, 30 years later I will get something. Well, here it is, 24 years,” he said, and acknowledged those who suffered or died and the sacrifices of military service members.
Co-hosts responded on air with expressions of sympathy. Ainsley Earhardt said, “I am so sorry. I didn’t realize.” Brian Kilmeade said he did not know of the diagnosis, and Lawrence Jones offered, “Praying for you, man.”
Shawn reported from Ground Zero and covered the attacks and cleanup extensively. He described the timeline of illness in personal terms and framed his diagnosis alongside the broader community of survivors, first responders and others who worked or lived near the World Trade Center site.
Medical researchers and federal programs have documented a range of long-term health effects among people exposed to the dust, smoke and debris following the attacks. Lawmakers enacted the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which created the World Trade Center Health Program and a compensation fund to provide medical monitoring, treatment and benefits for responders and survivors with qualifying conditions. Health officials have reported elevated rates of respiratory illnesses, cancers and other chronic conditions among those enrolled in monitoring programs, often appearing years after exposure.
Shawn did not provide additional medical details on the broadcast about the type of cancer or his current treatment status. Fox News did not immediately provide further comment beyond the on-air segment.
His disclosure highlights ongoing public attention to the long-term health consequences of the Sept. 11 attacks, as survivors and responders continue to seek care and legal remedies under federal programs established in the years after the attacks. Advocacy groups and researchers continue to track health outcomes and urge sustained funding for treatment and research related to 9/11-related illnesses.