BBC newsreader Alagiah to undergo treatment for bowel cancer
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
BBC newsreader George Alagiah has been diagnosed with bowel cancer for the second time in just under four years and is due to receive treatment, according to his agent, Mary Greenham, who said he was "in discussions with his medical team about treatment options and the way forward".
In a statement yesterday, Sri-Lankan-born Alagiah, 62, said, "My brilliant doctors are determined to get me back to a disease-free state and I know they have the skill to do just that. [...] I learned last time around how important the support of family and friends is and I am blessed in that department. I genuinely feel positive as I prepare for this new challenge."
He later posted on Twitter, saying it was "tough dealing with disappointment", though he "[a]lways knew the cancer could come back".
During his previous course of treatment for the condition, which was performed when he was at stage four, Alagiah underwent three operations and had a total of eight tumors removed from his liver. Following this, he returned to presenting the BBC News at Six in November 2015.
Sources
- "George Alagiah to be treated for bowel cancer for the second time" — BBC News Online, January 15, 2018
- Matthew Weaver. "BBC newsreader George Alagiah reveals his cancer has returned" — The Guardian, January 15, 2018