Yahoo Lifestyle Jenna Fischer Opens Up About Quietly Overcoming Breast Cancer
Jenna Fischer, best known for her role in “The Office,” is coming forward with her breast cancer experience after privately facing the disease over the past year.
The television star marked October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a fearless Instagram post on Tuesday, where she detailed her diagnosis and urged fans to stay current on their screenings.
In the post, Fischer, 50, shared a smiling photograph of herself rocking what she called a “patchy pixie” haircut along with a lengthy account of her health journey.
“I never thought I’d be making an announcement like this but here we are. Last December, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Positive Breast Cancer,” she wrote in the caption. “After completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation I am now cancer free.”
In the accompanying statement, Fischer recounted how, “Back in October 2023, I posted a photo of myself on Instagram preparing for my routine mammogram with a joking reminder to ‘take care of your ticking time bags’ a la Michael Scott.”
“After inconclusive results on that mammogram due to dense breast tissue my doctor ordered a breast ultrasound,” she continued. “They found something in my left breast. A biopsy was ordered. Then, on December 1, 2023, I learned I had stage 1 triple positive breast cancer.”
To tackle the cancer, the beloved actor underwent a lumpectomy in January. Because of the “aggressive nature” of her case, she also required chemotherapy and radiation.
“I’m happy to say I’m feeling great,” she went on. “I lost my hair during chemotherapy but thanks to some great wigs and hats with hair (which my family affectionately called Wigats) I have been able to wait until now to reveal all that has been going on for me.”
The sitcom star went on to stress how crucial early detection was to her case, telling fans, “I’m making this announcement for a few reasons. One, I’m ready to ditch the wigs. Two, to implore you to get your annual mammograms.”
She also pushed readers to have their doctors calculate their Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score and get any additional screenings required.
“I’m serious, call your doctors right now,” the host of the podcast “Office Ladies” wrote.
Making herself get that annual mammogram was a literal lifesaver for Fischer, who said, “If I had waited six months longer, things could have been much worse.”
She gave major credit to those who reminded her how important screening is, telling followers, “Seeing women post photos of their mammogram appointments on Instagram needled me into setting my own (which I was late for). I’m so glad I did.”
“Consider this your kick in the butt to get it done…. Suddenly everything in your life is geared around one thing: fighting cancer.”
