BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri has disclosed that she received a diagnosis of an incurable form of blood cancer in November 2024.
The 49-year-old journalist announced that the condition would remain with her for the remainder of her life.
Moshiri was diagnosed with polycythaemia vera, a rare blood cancer that causes the bone marrow to continuously produce excessive red blood cells, resulting in thickening of the blood.
She has been undergoing treatment since the diagnosis.
Her initial therapeutic approach involved venesection, a procedure during which approximately a pint of blood is extracted from a vein to decrease red blood cell concentration.
This process was required roughly twice monthly.
Subsequently, Moshiri commenced immunotherapy treatment using interferon, which decreased the frequency of venesection requirements.
However, this medication regimen produced significant adverse effects, including sleeplessness, persistent headaches, and severe pruritus.
She experienced such intense itching that it caused bleeding through her clothing, leaving visible scarring across her abdomen.
After several months, a different medication with a more tolerable side-effect profile became available, and she transitioned to this alternative treatment.
Despite her ongoing medical situation, Moshiri has maintained her professional responsibilities, including anchoring BBC coverage of Pope Francis’s death while reporting from Rome.
She worked extended shifts of up to fourteen hours, remaining on air continuously and improvising under pressure, while managing chronic exhaustion and fatigue.
The adrenaline associated with live news broadcasting enabled her to function despite these challenges.
Moshiri acknowledged that adapting to a life involving frequent hospital appointments and daily medication presented difficulties, though she expressed preference for this situation over the alternative of succumbing to cancer.
Accepting this diagnosis required psychological adjustment.
Through social media, Moshiri explained her motivation for publicly sharing her experience, hoping to raise awareness about blood cancer.
She announced her support for Blood Cancer UK’s Here for This initiative, which aims to highlight both the challenging moments that patients with blood cancer may miss due to intensive treatments and side effects, as well as the positive milestones made possible through research and improved therapies.
She expressed appreciation for the opportunity to share her story.
Moshiri extended thanks to her medical consultants, family members, friends, and colleagues who have provided support throughout the two years since her diagnosis.
She also directed others affected by blood cancer to seek assistance from Blood Cancer UK, which operates a helpline at 0808 2080 888.