WEBSTER REVEALS BLOOD CANCER DIAGNOSIS
06/05/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
MARK WEBSTER has revealed he has been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer.
The former Lakeside world champion and Sky Sports pundit says he was diagnosed with hairy cell leukaemia on January 8 and is currently undergoing treatment and regular monitoring.
The Welshman has not worked since the Premier League night in Belfast on February 5 as he continues his recovery away from the sport.
Webster admits the process has been slower than hoped due to his white blood cell count still recovering.
He told Darts World: “On January 8th I was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer called hairy cell leukaemia.
“It’s got a good prognosis, 95 per cent of cases are successful. I will put it into some sort of remission at some point.
“But the recovery at the minute is not going to plan in terms of the speed of it. My white blood counts are still not recovering, so therefore my immune system is not great at the minute.
“Hence why I cannot go back to work. It’s not the worst case scenario, but it’s just a bit frustrating for me at the minute.
“But I’m managing okay, I’m dealing with it alright.
“I can work with people but just not in the sense of environments. It’s frustrating really because day to day I am used to being busy.
“The Premier League on February 5th is the last time I worked. I am just managing it and trusting the people that have been looking after me.
“They have been really good. I don’t always get the answer that I want when I go in, but I have got to trust them.”
Webster is continuing to undergo weekly blood tests and hopes his recovery progresses enough for a return to work in the near future.
He added: “I got a bit carried away a couple of weeks ago thinking I might be able to work in Brighton, but my blood count was too low.
“My understanding is we are just keeping an eye on them and I am currently on boosters and they are going up.
“Hopefully I can come off those boosters, then they have to hold and I can return to work. It’s just a case of trusting the process.
“I have a blood test on a weekly basis, then I go and see my specialist every few weeks, then I just go from there.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
