FARGO — Fargo sports broadcaster Brian Shawn underwent surgery for colon cancer and says he'll miss the next couple of weeks of calling North Dakota State games on Midco Sports Network.
Shawn, 42, posted on Twitter that he was diagnosed with colon cancer on Jan. 29 and had surgery last week.
"I was diagnosed with colon cancer as doctors found a large cancerous tumor after a screening. It needed immediate attention," Shawn wrote. "After further testing & consultation with doctors, we made the decision to have surgery last Wednesday & get 70% of my colon removed. I have spent the past six days recovering in the hospital & was discharged today. I'm feeling good but it has been a challenging week."
In a text message, Shawn said he has a family history of colon cancer but he and his doctors believe they detected the tumor early enough to have a very strong chance of beating it.
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Hey all, some life news: I will be out of the broadcasting booth this coming weekend & for the next couple of weeks.
— Brian Shawn (@BShawnMidcoSN) February 16, 2021
On January 29th, I was diagnosed with colon cancer as doctors found a large cancerous tumor after a screening. It needed immediate attention. (1/10)
Shawn is the play-by-play announcer for Bison men's and women's basketball for Midco Sports and the play-by-play announcer for NDSU football on the North Dakota NBC network. He also covers motorsports for Midco.
Shawn wrote that he will miss this weekend's NDSU basketball games against South Dakota State and Sunday's football game against Youngstown State.
"I will continue to recover and build up my strength again at home for the remainder of the month. The reason I decided to get screened for colon cancer is because I underwent genetic testing through Sanford Health. The tests revealed I have something called Lynch Syndrome," Shawn wrote. "This is a hereditary condition in my family that increases my risk for colon cancer significantly. It was highly recommended I get screened ASAP, which I did. Although I only had some mild abdominal discomfort from time to time, I felt totally fine."
"I am bummed to miss the NDSU/SDSU basketball series this weekend & the football opener vs. Youngstown St. but I am hopeful to be back sometime next month doing what I love! Be good to each other, thank you and God Bless!"
