George Alagiah has said he is “in a sort of limbo” as he waits to hear the outcome of his latest round of cancer treatment – but that he is determined to live each day “to the full”.
The broadcaster, 63, underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy to treat advanced bowel cancer in 2014, and revealed earlier this year that he was having treatment to deal with a recurrence of his illness.
Appearing on The One Show on Monday, he said: “I’m living with cancer like lots and lots of other people. I’m in a sort of limbo.
“It keeps coming back and my amazing doctors shove it back into its hole.”
Alagiah, who is among those who have called for earlier screening for the disease, said he had completed some treatment a month ago.
“I have a scan in a few weeks’ time and I’ll know,” he said.
“The only way I know – and different people deal with cancer in a different way – is to live each day as it comes along and live it to the full.”
The newsreader was on the programme to discuss his debut novel, political thriller The Burning Land.
"It's the gaps in reporting."
Legendary broadcaster @BBCAlagiah talks about his new novel. #TheOneShow pic.twitter.com/RabjXo0yQy
— BBC The One Show (@BBCTheOneShow) August 19, 2019
He said he started it before being diagnosed with cancer but stopped writing it when he became ill.
“Once cancer came, it’s a life-changing situation and I didn’t even think about it,” he said.
“But I had a couple of years when it seemed to go away and I picked it up again and then was fortunate enough to have Canongate, my publishers, come and say they really liked it.”
The book is released on August 29.