BBC presenter Maryam Moshiri reveals rare blood cancer diagnosis
BBC presenter Maryam Moshiri has revealed she is living with polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer, and is sharing her story to raise awareness.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
BBC News chief presenter Maryam Moshiri has revealed she is living with a rare form of blood cancer called polycythemia vera. The 49-year-old broadcaster said she wanted to share her diagnosis to raise awareness about the disease and to help others living with similar chronic conditions.
In an interview with her colleague Lucy, Moshiri explained that she was diagnosed two years ago after routine blood tests. Her GP noticed that her red blood cell count, known as HCT, was very high, and she was referred to a haematology oncology department in London. Polycythemia vera is a rare blood cancer, affecting only 2.5% of people with blood cancer. It causes the bone marrow to produce too many red blood cells, making the blood extremely thick and increasing the risk of deep vein thrombosis, heart attacks and strokes.
Moshiri said she was lucky that her GP caught it early because she had few symptoms. She had been tired and had headaches, but put those down to perimenopause. She is now on a treatment called rope interferon, which she injects herself with every week. This controls her blood levels and allows her to live a relatively normal life. Before that, she underwent phlebotomy, where half a pint of blood was removed every two to four weeks, leaving her exhausted and unwell.
The presenter also spoke about the psychological impact of living with a chronic cancer. She described going through a period of asking "why me" and feeling guilty because she is not going to die from the disease if she receives proper treatment. She acknowledged that she will never be fully healthy and will need medical care for the rest of her life.
Moshiri is supporting Blood Cancer UK's awareness campaign called "Here For This", which highlights that many people with blood cancers suffer silently. She said she often missed events and was too tired to play with her children, but stressed that there is hope, treatment and support available.
Other news outlets also reported the story. 5 News at Lunchtime noted that Moshiri was diagnosed in November 2024, that the disease cannot be cured but is treatable, and that she said she will continue to work.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News |
|---|---|---|
| Maryam Moshiri was diagnosed with polycythemia vera, a rare blood cancer, in November 2024. | ||
| Maryam Moshiri is being treated with weekly injections of rope interferon and previously had phlebotomy treatments. | · | |
| Maryam Moshiri is supporting Blood Cancer UK's 'Here For This' campaign to raise awareness about silent suffering. | · | |
| Maryam Moshiri says she will continue to work. | · | |
| The disease cannot be cured but is treatable. | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News ran a lengthy, personal interview with Maryam Moshiri, focusing on her emotional journey, the details of her diagnosis and treatment, and her decision to go public to raise awareness. The tone was supportive and empathetic, with the presenter praising Moshiri's strength.
- “I've been living with this for two years and so I've managed to kind of get to a place where I understand its impact psychologically and physically on me.”
- “It's a very rare form of blood cancer. Only 2.5% of people with blood cancer actually have this type of blood cancer.”
- “I don't feel inspirational. I kind of feel like myself, but I hope that if people watch this, they can, you know, they feel that they're not alone.”
5 News at Lunchtime gave a brief, factual summary of the story, focusing on the key details: the diagnosis, the fact that the disease is treatable but not curable, and that Moshiri will continue working. The tone was neutral and concise, without the personal depth of the BBC interview.
- “BBC news presenter Mariam Rashiri has revealed she has blood cancer.”
- “The 49-year-old was diagnosed in November 2024 with the disease, which can't be cured but is treatable.”
- “She says she will continue to work.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.