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BBC Presenter Reveals Incurable Blood Cancer Diagnosis
Confirmed
In Short: Maryam Moshiri, a BBC News presenter, has been battling an incurable type of blood cancer for the past two years while continuing her work.
Maryam Moshiri, a BBC News presenter, has revealed that she has been undergoing treatment for an incurable type of blood cancer for the past two years. Moshiri, who has been working at the public broadcaster since 2003, received her diagnosis in November 2024 and has continued to maintain a full work schedule while managing her condition.
In an interview with The Times, Moshiri discussed the realities of living with Polycythaemia vera (PV), a rare type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and makes the blood thicker than normal. She has continued to work, even managing to cover the death of Pope Francis in Rome for two weeks in April last year, despite being fatigued from her cancer treatment.
According to reports, more than 310,000 people are living with or in remission from blood cancer, according to statistics from Blood Cancer UK. The charity is calling for a national standard that would mean someone with dementia would receive an accurate diagnosis within 18 weeks of being seen and referred by a GP. This would put dementia on a similar footing as other major health conditions, including cancer.
The charity's campaign highlights the long delays many families and carers of people living with dementia face. A survey for the Alzheimer's Society charity revealed that nearly half of the families surveyed waited for more than six months for an accurate diagnosis after their first visit to a GP. Michelle Dyson CB, of the Alzheimer's Society, says a diagnosis can really help families access support and plan for the future.
In a similar vein, Moshiri's story underscores the challenges faced by those with blood cancer. She has continued to work while having blood removed to reduce the concentration of red blood cells, demonstrating the resilience and determination of those battling such conditions.
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- Like Keith, 9 out of 10 families surveyed said that a formal diagnosis made at least one aspect of life easier.
- "You would never accept someone being diagnosed with cancer and then left to work out the next steps on their own." Dementia does not wait, and neither should diagnosis, she added.
- Keith says they had to wait almost a year for a diagnosis, which was difficult.
- The BBC presenter is backing a new campaign called Here for This, by Blood Cancer UK, which aims to highlight the things that suffers miss due to illness.
- Maryam is now backing a new campaign called Here for This, by Blood Cancer UK, which aims to highlight how the disease impacts everyday life and family moments.
- A big part of this disease is having to get on with life." Discussing how she didn't want to let her diagnosis affect her work, she said: "I love what I do.
- And so I had to let the children know [about the cancer].