Alagiah tells of his anguish at return of bowel cancer
GEORGE ALAGIAH has revealed that he thought he was “the guy who made it” before his bowel cancer returned.
The BBC newsreader, 63, underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy in 2014 and returned to presenting duties in 2015.
Mr Alagiah’s cancer later came back and he underwent further treatment.
He speaks about his treatment and living with the disease in a new podcast, In Conversation With George Alagiah. Every evening, he says: “I ask myself if I’ll be here tomorrow, and for the past few years I’ve answered ‘Yes’.”
Mr Alagiah, who has stage-four bowel cancer, says it was “quite tough” to learn that the disease had come back.
“I found it harder the second time round,” he says. “I got seduced into the idea that I was the guy who made it.”
He experienced extreme fatigue during chemotherapy, and some days “just sat on the sofa”, he recalls.
“It’s easier for us as patients than it is for those around us. I’ve limited my life right down to 24 hours ahead. ‘Can I do what I need tomorrow? Yes I can.’ Whereas for my wife and our sons, they are looking ahead – they’ve got their own lives to lead. But they also feel that they have to care for me and be sensitive to my needs as well.”
The BBC journalist hosts the first series of Bowel Cancer UK’S podcasts, interviewing supporters and experts on the disease, as well as discussing his own treatment and diagnosis.
Bowel cancer is the UK’S fourth most common cancer and second biggest killer cancer, the charity says. More than 16,000 people die from the disease every year.
However, it is treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early.
Veteran BBC journalist Jeremy Bowen, 59, recently revealed that he is suffering from the condition despite having none of the “classic” symptoms. For him, the signs were pains in his legs and back.
Deborah Alsina, chief executive of Bowel Cancer UK, said: “We’re so incredibly grateful to George for hosting our first series of podcasts to raise awareness of the disease during Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.”
In Conversation With George Alagiah: A Bowel Cancer UK podcast, with Matthew Wiltshire, can be found at www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk/podcasts.