BBC news presenter Maryam Moshiri has shared details of her diagnosis with an incurable cancer, emphasizing the role of routine blood tests in its early detection. Moshiri, 49, was diagnosed with polycythaemia vera (PV) in November 2024. PV is a rare cancer that affects the bone marrow, causing it to produce an excessive number of red blood cells, which thickens the blood.
Though the cancer cannot be cured, it is typically managed as a chronic condition. Moshiri described the treatment as "gruelling," citing side effects such as insomnia, headaches, and intense itching. She told her BBC colleague Lucy Hockings that she was "very lucky" her general practitioner noticed an unusually high red blood cell count during routine tests.
"My GP - my doctor, general practitioner - noticed that my red blood cells, my HCT, as it's known, was very high," Moshiri explained. This led to a referral to a hospital's hematology and oncology department, where she received her diagnosis.
She noted that she experienced few symptoms initially, attributing fatigue and headaches to perimenopause. "Yes, I was tired, I had headaches, but I put that down to peri-menopause - I was a 46-year-old woman at the time," she said. "Who knows what you're suffering, you're busy, you have kids, you have a family."
Despite her diagnosis, Moshiri continued to work, including covering Pope Francis's death and the ensuing conclave in Rome in April 2025. At the time, she was undergoing monthly blood draws to manage her condition, which left her feeling sick and exhausted. She worked 14-hour days while managing chronic tiredness and fatigue.
Following her return to London, Moshiri began immunotherapy treatment with interferon at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS trust. This treatment helped reduce the frequency of blood draws. Aspirin is also commonly prescribed to mitigate clot risks. However, she experienced significant side effects from the treatment, including insomnia, headaches, and severe itching.
"During my worst times when I was going through really quite gruelling treatment, I wasn't there for my kids," Moshiri recalled. "I'd be lying on the sofa, and my son would say, 'mummy, can you come play football with me in the garden?' And you just can't. You're too tired."
She later switched to a different medication with more manageable side effects, acknowledging the need to adapt to a lifestyle that includes regular hospital appointments and medication. Moshiri is now supporting the "Here for This" campaign by Blood Cancer UK, which aims to highlight missed moments in the lives of those living with blood cancer.
As of 2023, approximately 15,000 people in the UK live with polycythaemia vera. The condition most commonly develops later in life, with the average age of diagnosis being 60. The average survival rate for those diagnosed over 60 is 14 years, and 24 years for those diagnosed under 60.
Another BBC personality, DJ David Hamilton, also revealed he has polycythaemia vera, having been diagnosed four years ago. He shared that his consultant described it as "if you're going to have cancer, this is the best cancer you could possibly have," a perspective he found comforting.