BBC newsreader to undergo treatment after cancer returns

BBC NEWSREADER George Alagiah, inset, is to undergo medical treatment for cancer after the disease returned for a second time.

The 62-year-old presenter was previously diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014 and it was later revealed that it had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.

He was cleared of the disease the following year and returned to work in November 2015.

A statement by Alagiah’s agent, Mary Greenham, read: “He was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in April 2014 and returned to the screen in November 2015 after extensive treatment.

“He is in discussions with his medical team about treatment options and the way forward.”

Alagiah 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.”

Ms Greenham asked that Alagiah’s “privacy be respected at this time”.

A BBC spokesman said: “Everyone at the BBC sends George and his family their best wishes as he undergoes treatment and we will be thinking of them.”

The Sri Lankaborn presenter was diagnosed with the disease, which had spread to his liver and lymph nodes, in April 2014. He had noticed blood in his stools and, after a colonoscopy, a tumour was discovered on his bowel.

MRI scans later detected eight tumours in his liver.

In 2016, Alagiah said he was a “richer person” for the experience, which saw him undergo several rounds of chemotherapy and three major operations, one of which included the removal of most of his liver.

He said: “I wasn’t afraid of dying. I just wanted to get on with treatment.”