BBC News Anchor Maryam Moshiri Discloses Blood Cancer Diagnosis

BBC News anchor Maryam Moshiri has publicly disclosed that she is living with a rare blood cancer, hoping her story will help educate the public about the condition.

Moshiri, 49, was diagnosed in November 2024 with polycythaemia vera (PV), a disease characterized by the overproduction of red blood cells. While the condition is incurable, medical experts note that it can be effectively managed with ongoing treatment.

“I’m going to have to spend the rest of my life being treated for this,” Moshiri told the BBC. She explained that the decision to go public came after two years of navigating the illness, during which she gained a deeper understanding of its impact on her daily life.

PV increases the risk of serious complications, including blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks. Common symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, and confusion, though Moshiri noted that she experienced few signs initially. Her diagnosis was prompted by her general practitioner, who identified abnormalities during routine blood tests and ordered further investigation.

In the early stages of her treatment, Moshiri underwent a series of venesections—a procedure involving the removal of blood through a needle to reduce blood thickness. She described the process as debilitating, noting that frequent sessions caused her iron levels to drop significantly, leading to severe fatigue, hair loss, and itching.

“I felt even more exhausted… the main symptom was fatigue,” she said. However, her condition improved after switching to an immunotherapy treatment called interferon through the NHS. She reported requiring only one venesection in the past 15 months and described her recent months as better than any time in the previous two years.

Despite the challenges, Moshiri has continued her professional duties, anchoring major global events including the conflict in the Middle East, the papal selection in the Vatican, and Vice-President JD Vance’s visit to Greenland. She credited her husband, Jonathan, and her three children—Iris, Vivienne, and Caspian—for their support.

Helen Rowntree, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, praised Moshiri for breaking the silence surrounding the disease. Rowntree highlighted that blood cancer is the UK’s fifth most common cancer and its third biggest killer, often presenting with vague symptoms that can delay diagnosis.

Moshiri emphasized that while PV can rarely progress to myelofibrosis or acute myeloid leukaemia, patients can lead relatively healthy lives with the right treatment plan. “It’s just a question of finding the right treatment and making sure it works for you,” she said.