‘I have chronic cancer but I’m not going to die’: BBC news presenter Maryam Moshiri admits she was ‘lucky’ her GP caught incurable cancer early during routine blood tests
BBC news presenter Maryam Moshiri has revealed she was diagnosed with polycythaemia vera (PV), a rare and incurable blood cancer, after her GP spotted abnormal results during routine blood tests. Moshiri, 49, said she considers herself fortunate the condition was caught early, as she had few obvious symptoms and had attributed her tiredness and headaches to peri-menopause rather than a serious illness. The case highlights how routine screening can pick up serious conditions before they progress, even when symptoms seem minor or easily explained away.
PV causes the bone marrow to overproduce red blood cells, thickening the blood and raising the risk of clots, heart attacks and strokes if left untreated, though it is generally managed as a chronic condition. Since her diagnosis in November 2024, Moshiri has undergone gruelling treatment, including monthly blood removal and immunotherapy at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS trust, enduring side effects such as insomnia, headaches and severe itching while continuing to work, including covering Pope Francis's death in Rome. She is now backing Blood Cancer UK's "Here for This" campaign, with around 15,000 people in the UK currently living with the condition.
- BBC presenter Maryam Moshiri has incurable but manageable blood cancer PV.
- Her GP caught it early via routine blood tests, despite few symptoms.
- She continues working while enduring gruelling treatment and side effects.
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Polycythaemia vera is a rare, incurable blood cancer that causes the bone marrow to produce too many red blood cells, making the blood thicker than normal. This raises the risk of dangerous clots, heart attacks and strokes, though with ongoing treatment it can generally be managed as a long-term condition rather than a swiftly fatal one. It is typically picked up through blood tests, sometimes incidentally, since its symptoms, such as tiredness and headaches, are easy to mistake for other causes.
Maryam Moshiri is a BBC news presenter known for her on-air work, including coverage of major international events. She was diagnosed with the condition in November 2024 after a routine blood test carried out by her GP flagged abnormal results, despite her having few obvious signs of illness at the time.
Blood Cancer UK is a charity that supports people affected by blood cancers and funds related research; around 15,000 people in the UK currently live with polycythaemia vera. Cases like this draw attention to the value of routine health checks in catching serious illnesses before symptoms become severe, and to the realities of living and working with a chronic cancer diagnosis.