“The Office” star Jenna Fischer revealed she was recently treated for breast cancer following a surprise diagnosis.
Fischer, 50, shared the news on Instagram Tuesday afternoon in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“I never thought I’d be making an announcement like this but here we are,” she captioned the post. “Last December, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Positive Breast Cancer. After completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation I am now cancer free.”
Over several slides on the post, Fischer went into greater detail, including how the diagnosis was made after she underwent a routine mammogram, an ultrasound and a biopsy.
She noted that triple positive breast cancer is aggressive but highly treatable. She underwent surgery to have the tumor removed and then had 15 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation.
Fischer said she’s taking medication but is “happy” and “feeling great” despite needing to regrow her hair, which had fallen out during treatment.
She added she decided to go public with the news to encourage others to get checked and be a source of support for anyone in a similar situation.
“I’m happy to say that I was recently re-screened, and the treatments worked,” she wrote. “I am cancer free. I will continue to be treated and monitored to help me stay that way.”
“Get ’em checked, ladies. And know that should you get a breast cancer diagnosis, there is a village waiting to care for you,” she concluded.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women after skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. While diagnoses have increased, deaths from breast cancer have decreased by 42% since 1989.
