George Alagiah 'grateful for support' as cancer returns - BBC News
The BBC News anchor will "aim to be on-air as much as possible" as he begins more treatment for bowel cancer.
George Alagiah returned to the screens in January

BBC newsreader George Alagiah is to begin another round of treatment for bowel cancer, his agent has confirmed.

His agent Mary Greenham added in a statement he would "aim to be on-air as much as possible but may need to reduce his workload".

"He is always grateful to the public for the tremendous support he has received."

The BBC One News at Six presenter was first treated in 2014 but revealed in 2017 the cancer had returned.

Alagiah, 63, who has presented BBC News At Six for more than 10 years, returned to the BBC newsroom in January.

It was the first time he'd been seen on screen since December 2017.

He said then he was "overwhelmed" by supportive comments from viewers welcoming him back.

He explained on Twitter the cancer was "in a holding pattern", which meant he could work again.

After Alagiah's initial diagnosis in 2014, the disease spread to his liver and lymph nodes, which needed treatment with several rounds of chemotherapy and three large operations, including one to remove most of his liver.

He returned to work in 2015, but had to take more time out in 2017 when he was told that his stage four bowel cancer had returned.

Earlier this year, the Sri Lanka-born newsreader hosted a Bowel Cancer UK podcast called In Conversation With George Alagiah, in which he spoke about his treatment and living with the disease.

Bowel cancer is the UK's fourth most common cancer and second biggest killer cancer, with more than 16,000 people dying from the disease every year, the charity said.

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