Jenna Fischer says she is cancer-free after breast cancer battle
Actress Jenna Fischer announced she is now cancer-free after battling stage 1 triple positive breast cancer.
The actress, 50, shared the news in an Instagram post on Tuesday revealing the diagnosis, detailing her battle against the disease and thanking those who supported her throughout her recovery.
"Last December, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Positive Breast Cancer. After completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation I am now cancer free," Fischer wrote in the caption of the post which was shared along with a smiling photo of her. She thanked her "Office" co-star Angela Kinsey's husband Josh Snyder for taking the photo.
Fischer began her post by explaining the circumstances of her diagnosis in 2023 after previously posting about her upcoming mammogram.
"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," she wrote.
"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," she wrote. Fischer described the diagnosis as "an aggressive form of breast cancer" that is "highly responsive to treatment."
Fischer explained in January she underwent a lumpectomy, removing the tumor that had been found. Although the cancer had not spread, she said due to its aggressive nature "it still required chemotherapy and radiation to be sure it didn't return."
Fischer shared in February she began 12 weeks of chemotherapy and three weeks of radiation. She also shared that while she is still taking "infusions of Herceptin and a daily dose of Tamoxifen" she is "feeling great."
"The Office" star shared that due to wigs, she was able to hold off on revealing her diagnosis to the public until now. She said the reasons she was coming forward with the news now is that she was "ready to ditch the wings" and because she wanted to "implore you to get your annual mammograms."
"If I had waited six months longer, things could have been much worse. 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," she cautioned.
She added that she hoped her announcement would act as a show of support for others dealing with the disease.
Next, Fischer thanked those who helped her in her breast cancer battle. "It takes a village to fight cancer, and I have had an amazing village."
She thanked her doctors, nurses, caregivers and "strangers who are now sisters" who shared their own cancer stories with her along the way.
She also thanked friends and family who supported her in different ways throughout her battle. "Every gesture big or small was felt. All of it was perfect," she wrote, adding that some people did not until very recently. "I needed spaces and people who did not regard me as a cancer patient."
Fischer also thanked her "best friend" and co-host of the pair's popular "Office" podcast "Office Ladies," Kinsey, writing, "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."
Fischer, who is a mother of two children, went on to detail her family's reaction to the diagnosis, writing that her kids "are great." She said her she revealed the diagnosis to adults who supported their children when the family was in need. "We leaned on our community. They held us up. We got through it together."
Fischer concluded her post by thanking her husband Lee Kirk, who she said stuck by her side every step of her recovery. "He was there for it all. I knew he was a catch when I married him. I was right," she wrote.
Fischer's final slide shows her and her family celebrating her final radiation and chemo treatments by ringing a bell and throwing confetti. She concluded with another "Office" reference, and a reminder to get screened for breast cancer. "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," she finished.
Fischer starred in "The Office" for all nine seasons from 2005-2013. Her current podcast "Office Ladies," co-hosted with Kinsey, breaks down prior episodes, sharing memories from the set.
