Fox News senior correspondent Eric Shawn has spent nearly 25 years reporting on the legacy of September 11.

Now that legacy is painfully personal.

Shawn says the toxic air he breathed while covering Ground Zero was followed by chronic bronchitis, GERD, a skin cancer diagnosis and ongoing surveillance for probable prostate cancer.

The veteran journalist was walking to work in Manhattan on September 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 11 passed low overhead. Minutes later, the plane struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower.

Shawn rushed to the Fox newsroom, told colleagues what he had seen and went on the air. He later spent weeks reporting from the wreckage.

ADVERTISEMENT

People reported that Shawn remembers a thick haze of choking dust hanging over the site. Masks eventually arrived, but he said there was no real escape from the contaminated air.

By November 2001, an uncontrollable cough sent him to a doctor. What was casually called the “World Trade Center cough” became acute chronic bronchitis that troubled him for years.

At one point, the symptoms became so severe that Shawn needed two prednisone injections within 72 hours. He also developed gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD.

The problems did not end when the cough eased. Shawn said he later learned that the dust cloud contained a dangerous mixture of pulverized construction material and other contaminants, leaving those who worked at the site uncertain about what illnesses might emerge years later.

He was 44 when the towers fell. Now 69, he described the health consequences as part of a “tragic legacy” that has followed the people who were there long after the rescue and recovery work ended.

The most serious developments came years later.

Shawn said doctors diagnosed him with skin cancer. Tests also showed his prostate-specific antigen level rising quickly, prompting repeated testing, scans and biopsies.

Doctors placed him under active surveillance for what he described as the highest level of probable prostate cancer. He returns for blood work and monitoring every three months, with another biopsy expected near the end of the year.

That distinction matters: Shawn has confirmed skin cancer, while his doctors are closely watching for prostate cancer rather than treating it as a settled diagnosis.

ADVERTISEMENT

TV Insider reported that Shawn said his condition is under control and that he feels fortunate to be receiving strong care. His decision to speak publicly was driven by the thousands of responders, survivors and others whose illnesses have been more severe.

He also stressed a simple lesson from his own experience: keep annual medical appointments and catch changes early.

That advice is especially urgent in his case. Shawn said his PSA level began rising rapidly, triggering more intensive monitoring even though doctors have not made a final prostate cancer diagnosis.

The veteran correspondent continues to work, including reporting connected to the 25th anniversary of the attacks. He said he wants the anniversary coverage to honor those who died while also recognizing the continuing medical burden carried by survivors, residents and recovery workers.

Shawn first disclosed publicly in September 2025 that he had cancer and respiratory illness tied to his Ground Zero exposure.

Fox News reported at the time that he was enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program and had two certified diagnoses. He warned that the health consequences had reached far beyond first responders to people who lived, worked or attended school in Lower Manhattan.

The latest interviews add crucial detail about the cancers being monitored and the physical toll that began within weeks of the attack.

His 2025 disclosure also put his own experience beside the growing death toll among the wider 9/11 community. Shawn cited the thousands of people who had died from illnesses linked to the attacks and said the danger was not confined to the day itself.

He credited regular medical screening with identifying problems that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. The earlier account established the link to Ground Zero; his new interviews explain how doctors are managing that risk now.

ADVERTISEMENT

The World Trade Center Health Program, administered through the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, now serves nearly 150,000 members across all 50 states and U.S. territories.

The program provides medical monitoring and treatment for certified 9/11-related conditions. Its covered conditions include cancers, airway and digestive disorders, and mental health conditions.

Eligibility extends beyond firefighters and police officers. Responders, survivors, residents, area workers and people who attended school or child care in the disaster area can qualify when they meet the program’s exposure requirements.

The federal program operates through clinical centers and a nationwide provider network, covering monitoring and treatment without out-of-pocket costs for certified conditions. Its scale shows why illnesses emerging decades later remain a national concern rather than a closed chapter in New York history.

For Shawn, the numbers represent people he met, colleagues who stood beside him and friends he later lost.

He plans to keep reporting as the country marks the 25th anniversary.

The attack lasted a morning. For the men and women who breathed that dust, its consequences are still arriving a quarter-century later.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.