"The Office" star Jenna Fischer revealed her private battle with an "aggressive" breast cancer last year.
The actor, who played Pam Beesly on the U.S. version of "The Office" revealed the diagnosis Tuesday on Instagram, noting that after undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation she is now cancer-free.
"I never thought I'd be making an announcement like this but here we are," she wrote in the post, which marked breast cancer awareness month. The post detailed her diagnosis, which began in last October with a routine mammogram.
After initial tests returned with unclear results, an ultrasound identified a mass in her left breast, resulting in a stage one triple-positive breast cancer diagnosis in December.
Fischer characterized her cancer as "aggressive" but noted that it was highly treatable. She underwent a lumpectomy in January to remove part of the breast tissue.
Although the cancer had not metastasized, she opted for chemotherapy in February, followed by radiation in June, and continued with "infusions of Herceptin and a daily dose of Tamoxifen" to prevent recurrence.
"I'm happy to say I'm feeling great," she continued.
Fischer opted to keep her battle private, using "great wigs and hats with hair" to avoid sounding alarm bells. She chose to speak out now to create awareness and to "implore" others to go for mammograms.
"I'm serious, call your doctor right now," she added. "My tumor was so small it could not be felt on a physical exam. If I had waited six months longer, things could have been much worse. It could have spread … Consider this your kick in the butt to get it done."
Fischer also used her post as a platform to show support to other women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
"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 said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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