The star of 'The Office' underwent aggressive chemotherapy and radiation.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Office‘s Jenna Fischer shared that she has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer after she was diagnosed in 2023. In an Instagram post on October 8, the actress explained that she wanted to share her story in solidarity with anyone else who’s also fighting the disease. She emphasized that she had found a lump early and that due to the aggressive nature of her cancer, things could have been much worse if she had waited to seek treatment.
“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' à la Michael Scott. After inconclusive results on that mammogram due to dense breast tissue my doctor ordered a breast ultrasound," she said at the start of the video. "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.”
She added that she had a lumpectomy in January of 2024, which removed the tumor before it could spread. However, that was just the beginning of her treatment, as she detailed having to go through 12 rounds of chemo and three weeks of radiation from February to June of this year. Her message also noted that she hid her hair loss with wigs and hats, but added that she's ready to be open about everything and stop hiding.
“I’m happy to say I’m feeling great. 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," she added ."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. You can also ask your doctor to calculate your Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score and get any additional screenings required. I’m serious, call your doctors right now.”
“If I had waited six months longer, things could have been much worse,” she finished. “It could have spread. 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.”
Fischer added that it “takes a village to fight cancer” and took time to thank her medical team and her friends, family, and other cancer survivors for supporting her.
“I’m happy to say that I was recently re-screened, and the treatments worked. I am cancer-free. I will continue to be treated and monitored to help me stay that way,” Fischer said. “Again, don't skip your mammogram…And know that should you get a breast cancer diagnosis, there is a village waiting to care for you.”