Cavuto Returns Following Illness
- Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto worried fans when he did not host his namesake program over the last two months. Upon returning to the air he said he had been ill with COVID pneumonia.
- Cavuto, 63, is a cancer survivor, and he also has multiple sclerosis. People who are immunocompromised may not reap the full benefits of the COVID vaccine.
- It is recommended that immunocompromised people receive a fourth dose of the COVID vaccine. The four doses are made up of a primary series of 3 doses of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, plus 1 booster of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (4th dose), according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Fans were alarmed and upset after substitute anchors filled in for Cavuto over the last two months.
Read More“It landed me in intensive care for quite a while, and it really was touch-and-go. Some of you who've wanted to put me out of my misery darn near got what you wished for! So, sorry to disappoint you,” he joked.
Cavuto was quick to get out ahead of any rhetoric that the vaccine caused his illness.
“No, the vaccine didn't cause that. That grassy knoll theory has come up a lot. My very compromised immune system did. Because I've had cancer and right now I have multiple sclerosis, I'm among the vulnerable three percenters or so of the population that cannot sustain the full benefits of a vaccine. In other words, it simply doesn't last.”
Cavuto said doctors told him if he had not been vaccinated at all, he may have died. “It provided some defense, but that is still better than no defense. Maybe not great comfort for some of you. And frankly, not great comfort for me either!
He ended his explanation by saying he’s not here to “debate vaccinations for you. Just offer an explanation for me. I owed you that. I didn't want to become the story, but for many of you, I did.”
Neil Cavuto’s Cancer & The Vaccine
Cavuto is a cancer thriver and an inspiring example of how you can rebound after a health battle. He’s not only beat cancer, but also been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), undergone open-heart surgery, and contracted Covid-19. The man is truly unstoppable.
Cavuto notably spoke out in support of the Covid-19 vaccine. In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Cavuto said, “I've mentioned vaccinations in the past, and I think it's important. I'm more cognizant of these types of issues given what I've been through."
If you’re a cancer survivor, be sure to get the vaccine and booster, as some cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, can make you more susceptible to contracting Covid-19.
Understanding Hodgkin Lymphoma
Cavuto was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 1987. This blood cancer attacks the immune system. Cavuto treated his cancer with chemotherapy and radiation. Cavuto told SurvivorNet in a previous interview that his diagnosis deeply affected him, as it does many people. He said, as a result of his cancer, he’s "more focused on just trying to be a good human being rather than just a good journalist."
Swelling of the lymph nodes on the neck is a symptom of lymphoma. Other symptoms of Hodgkin Lymphoma may include swelling around the armpits or groin, persistent fatigue, fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, and severe itching. Speak with your doctor if you have any of these symptoms.
Lymphoma begins in white blood cells called lymphocytes. This kind of cancer is typically classified as either Hodgkin Lymphoma or Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The distinction between lies in the white blood cells linked to the disease. If doctors are unable to detect the Reed-Sternberg cell (a giant cell derived from B lymphocytes), then it is categorized as Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In a previous interview, Dr. Elise Chong, a medical oncologist at Penn Medicine, says lymphoma symptoms can be difficult to detect. "The symptoms of lymphoma, especially if you have a low-grade lymphoma, often are no symptoms. People say, but I feel completely fine, and that's very normal," she explains.
What Kind of Lymphoma Do You Have? Why Your Type Matters
Understanding MS
Ten years after his cancer diagnosis, Cavuto began experiencing new symptoms. "I was stumbling and falling," the anchor told People in 2002, remembering his 1997 symptoms. "I would wake up prickly. My legs felt like stilts," he said at the time. He also had headaches and back pain, along with periods of blurred vision.
In an earlier interview, he told SurvivorNet, “there were some good [MS] drugs out there and it can alleviate the progression somewhat, but it's still progressive. With cancer, you never know. It can return,” said Cavuto. “I've seen that or it can pop up somewhere else in the body and it is one of the big, scary mysteries of illnesses."
Cavuto was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive disease of the brain and spinal cord. The anchor has lived with his disease and adapted to it.
This disease causes the immune system to eat away at the protective covering of the body's nerves. MS disrupts communication between the brain and the body. Symptoms of the disease can include vision loss, pain, fatigue, and impaired coordination. Some people use chemotherapy treatment to help mitigate the effects of MS.
Not Your Parents' Chemotherapy: New Solutions for Nausea, Hair Loss, and Other Chemo Side Effects
Contributing: Anne McCarthy
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