Jenna Fischer revealed Tuesday that she’d dealt with a private breast cancer scare beginning in December of last year. Since then, the “Office Ladies” co-host has undergone treatment and has now been declared cancer-free.
“October is breast cancer awareness month,” the “Office” alum wrote. “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. After completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation I am now cancer free.”
“I wanted a photo of myself in my patchy pixie looking happy and healthy to go along with this news,” Fischer said, sharing a photo featuring her new post-cancer hairdo. “A big thank you to Angela Kinsey’s husband Josh Snyder for taking this photo. It’s just one example of the care they showed me during this journey.”
Posting slides with a detailed look into what she’s been through with her cancer treatment, Fischer also shared a photo ringing a bell indicating her cancer-free diagnosis as her husband and children sprayed her with confetti.
“Back in October of 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,” Fischer’s detailed sharing of her experience began. “After inconclusive results on that mammogram due to dense breast tissue, my doctor ordered a breast ultrasound. 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.”
“Triple positive breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer but it is also highly responsive to treatment,” she continued. “In January, I had a lumpectomy to remove the tumor. Luckily my cancer was caught early and it hadn’t spread into my lymph nodes or throughout the rest of my body, however because of the aggressive nature of triple positive breast cancer it still required chemotherapy and radiation to be sure it didn’t return.”
“In February I began 12 rounds of weekly chemotherapy, and in June I started three weeks of radiation,” she added. “And while I continue to be treated with infusions of Herceptin and a daily dose of Tamoxifen, I’m happy to say l’m feeling great.”
Fischer went on to reveal that photos that she’s appeared in over the past year included her wearing wigs, which allowed her to keep her diagnosis and treatment private until now.
“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,” Fischer explained.
“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,” the actress wrote before continuing with her call for vigilance when it comes to protecting yourself from breast cancer.
The actress credited Instagram with helping to get her to set her own mammogram appointment, which led to her diagnosis.
“I’m serious, call your doctor right now,” Fischer urged. “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.”
“I’m also sharing in hopes that it will be a source of support to any woman who is going through this right now,” the now-podcaster shared. “As anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis knows, your life changes immediately. It becomes all about doctor appointments, test results, treatments and recovering from treatments. Suddenly everything in your life is geared around one thing: fighting cancer.”
She went on to share further thanks for those who cared for her, both medically and in her personal life. Fischer explained how she’d connected with other cancer survivors — while also keeping the diagnosis secret from some people in her life, as she felt that she “needed spaces and people who did not regard me as a cancer patient.”
Fischer specifically praised her “Office Ladies” co-host, Angela Kinsey.
“Thankfully I’ve been able to keep working during treatments,” Fischer wrote. “This was all because I work with my best friend Angela Kinsey who protected me and advocated for me. For a long time, she was the only person in my workspace who knew. When I lost my hair, she wore hats to our work meetings so I wouldn’t be the only one.”
“When I needed a break, we took one,” the actress continued. “I am so lucky to have a career with this kind of flexibility. Cancer treatment requires a lot of flexibility. For a gal who likes to plan, that was a hard adjustment. But, continuing to work has brought so much joy to my life during treatment.”
“I’m happy to say that I was recently re-screened, and the treatments worked,” Fischer shared. “I am cancer free. I will continue to be treated and monitored to help me stay that way.”
“Again, don’t skip your mammogram,” she wrote as she concluded. “Take it from Pam and her Pam Pams. Michael was right. Get ’em checked ladies. And know that should you get a breast cancer diagnosis, there is a village waiting to care for you.”
You can read Fischer’s full story in the Instagram slideshow below:
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