BBC News chief presenter Maryam Moshiri has revealed that she was diagnosed with a rare form of incurable blood cancer, saying she decided to speak publicly about her condition to raise awareness.
Moshiri, 49, who joined the BBC in 2003 and is one of the broadcaster’s best-known news anchors, was diagnosed with polycythaemia vera (PV) in November 2024.
She told the BBC that, after living with the condition for two years, she had gained a better understanding of the disease and how it affects her life.
“It’s been two years since my diagnosis and I’ve felt that I’ve started to understand the disease a lot better and the way it affects my life. I’ve got a handle on it to a degree now, so I felt it was really important to raise awareness,” she said.
Moshiri said her condition would require lifelong treatment.
“I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life being treated for this,” she added.
PV is a rare blood cancer in which the body produces too many red blood cells, making the blood thicker than normal and increasing the risk of blood clots.
The condition can raise the risk of serious complications including stroke, heart attack and deep vein thrombosis, while symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, confusion and blurred vision.
Moshiri said she initially had few symptoms and that her condition was detected after her GP ordered routine blood tests.
“I was told by my consultant that I have this incurable blood cancer,” she said.
“Mostly I had no symptoms and that’s one of the problems with this disease.
“The only reason mine was caught was because my GP was so fastidious in the way she did my routine blood tests and immediately sent them for further diagnosis.”
As part of her initial treatment, Moshiri underwent several sessions of venesection, a procedure in which blood is drawn from a vein to reduce its thickness.
She said she underwent seven or eight sessions over about five months, leaving her severely fatigued after her iron levels dropped.
“In about a space of five months, I had venesection seven or eight times. So you can imagine my iron levels hit the floor and I felt even more exhausted,” she said.
Moshiri later began immunotherapy with interferon through the NHS. Following adjustments to the treatment, she said her condition had improved significantly.
“I’ve only needed one venosection in about 15 months, so that’s been really good. The last couple of months have been better than the last two years,” she said.
She stressed that although PV is incurable, it can be managed with appropriate treatment.
“I think it’s really important people understand that this blood cancer is incurable but it’s manageable with the right treatment and you can lead a relatively healthy life.
“It’s just a question of finding the right treatment and making sure it works for you.”
Moshiri said she was “not the person I was two years ago” but now feels “much better.”
The presenter said one of the biggest challenges has been dealing with extreme fatigue, which has sometimes prevented her from attending family events or playing with her children.
“It’s the kind of fatigue that is not like I’m just tired and I didn’t get a good night’s sleep, you feel like someone has removed your battery completely, and however much sleep you get makes no difference.”
She also acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding her condition, particularly because PV can increase the risk of serious complications. “Even though I feel the best I have in two years, I don’t know how I’m going to be in six months, one year, two years.”
“People with PV have a higher chance of stroke, heart attack or DVT, so it’s something I always have to be aware of and make sure I mitigate.”
Despite her health challenges, Moshiri has continued working and travelling internationally to cover major stories for the BBC.
Over the past two years, she has anchored coverage from Qatar at the start of the US-Israel war with Iran, reported from the Vatican during the selection of the new Pope and travelled to Greenland for US Vice-President JD Vance’s visit.
She credited her husband, Jonathan, her children and BBC management for their support.
Moshiri said it took her time to tell her children, Iris, 13, Vivienne, 11, and Caspian, nine, about her illness because she did not want to worry them.
“It took me a long time to be able to tell them about this illness, because I don’t want to worry them, but they have been so understanding. When I say things like ‘mummy is too tired to play with you’, they get it and they don’t push it,” she said.
According to Blood Cancer UK, PV can in some cases develop into myelofibrosis and, more rarely, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Helen Rowntree, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, praised Moshiri for speaking publicly about her diagnosis and said greater awareness could help challenge the silence surrounding blood cancers. “We’re so grateful to Maryam for bravely sharing her story,” Rowntree said.
She noted that blood cancer can present with vague symptoms that are difficult to identify and that many patients manage treatment and side effects alongside work and family responsibilities.
Rowntree also called for continued public and government support for research into more effective treatments with fewer side effects.
Moshiri said she remained hopeful that continued scientific research would lead to further advances in the treatment of blood cancer. “There is a lot of research going into blood cancer and scientific advancement to look forward to. Hopefully they’ll be some sort of advancement that will help even more than these medications I’ve been given,” she said.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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