BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri has revealed she is living with polycythaemia vera (PV), a rare and treatable blood cancer. Ms Moshiri, 49, was diagnosed in November 2024 and stated she wanted to share her diagnosis to raise awareness about the disease.
PV causes the body to make too many red blood cells, leading to thicker blood and a higher risk of clots, which can cause a stroke, heart attack, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Symptoms can include headaches, confusion, dizziness, and blurred vision, though Ms Moshiri primarily experienced fatigue.
Initial treatment involved several venesection sessions, a procedure to reduce blood thickness. Ms Moshiri later began immunotherapy treatment with interferon through the NHS, which she says has improved her condition. She noted that while the blood cancer is incurable, it is manageable with the right treatment.
Blood Cancer UK, a charity funding research, states that in some cases, PV can develop into myelofibrosis, and more rarely, into acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Helen Rowntree, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, expressed gratitude to Ms Moshiri for sharing her story, highlighting that blood cancer is the UK's fifth most common cancer and third biggest cancer killer.