Jenna Fischer, best known for her role as Pam Beesly in ‘The Office’, has opened up about her battle with ‘aggressive’ breast cancer last year and her journey to being cancer-free.
Sharing the news during Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Instagram, Fischer detailed her diagnosis, which came after a routine mammogram revealed inconclusive results and an ultrasound detected a mass in her left breast.
In December, she was diagnosed with stage one triple positive breast cancer. Thankfully, the cancer was highly treatable.
Fischer underwent a lumpectomy in January, followed by chemotherapy in February and radiation in June. To prevent a recurrence, she also received ongoing Herceptin infusions and a daily dose of Tamoxifen.
Now, she’s happy to report that she’s feeling great and cancer-free!
Jenna Fischer revealed she was able to keep her breast cancer private thanks to ‘some great wigs and hats with hair.’ She chose to share her journey now to encourage others to get mammograms and take preventive measures.
‘I’m serious, call your doctor right now,’ she urged.
‘My tumour was so small it couldn't be felt during a physical exam. If I had waited six months, it could have spread and become much worse. Consider this your kick in the butt to get it done,’ she added.
Fischer also emphasized how a cancer diagnosis changes everything, as ‘everything in your life becomes about doctor appointments, tests, and treatments.’ She thanked the ‘amazing village’ of medical professionals, family, friends, and fellow cancer survivors who supported her during the past year.
Among those who helped was The Office co-star Angela Kinsey, her co-host on the Office Ladies podcast. Fischer said Kinsey ‘protected and advocated for me,’ even keeping her cancer diagnosis a secret at work for a long time.
‘When I lost my hair, she wore hats to our work meetings so I wouldn't be the only one without hair. And when I needed a break, we took one,’ she wrote.
Fischer, who played Pam Beesly for nine seasons in The Office from 2005 to 2013, also won an Emmy for her role. Her latest role was in the 2023 musical film adaptation of ‘Mean Girls’.
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