The Office star Jenna Fischer has shared that she underwent treatment for an “aggressive” form of cancer last year.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday night, Jenna – who played fan-favourite Pam Beesly in the award-winning US sitcom – said she is now “cancer free”, having undergone surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the past year.
She told her followers that she received her diagnosis of stage 1 triple positive breast cancer a year ago after a routine mammogram.
“Triple positive breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer but it is also highly responsive to treatment,” she explained.
“In January, I had a lumpectomy to remove the tumour. 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.
“And while I continue to be treated with infusions of Herceptin and a daily dose of Tamoxifen, I’m happy to say I’m feeling great.”
Jenna explained she was making the announcement about her diagnosis “for a number of reasons”, namely that she is now ready to “ditch the wigs” after losing her hair during chemotherapy treatment, but also to implore her followers to undergo their own annual mammograms.
“My tumour 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,” she pointed out.
“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.”
Jenna also took a moment to thank the “angel” doctors, nurses and caregivers who helped her through her cancer journey, as well as her friends and family “who have surrounded us with their love and support”.
Singling out her “best friend” Angela Kinsey – who played Angela in The Office, and with whom she hosts a podcast about the sitcom – Jenna wrote: “[She] 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 l wouldn’t be the only one.
“When I needed a break, we took one. 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.”
She added: “People often ask, ‘How are the kids?’. My kids are 10 and 13. My kids are great. We took this journey as a family.
“They saw that I was able to do many of the same things as before like eating meals with the family and attending their school events. And they saw the limitations cancer treatment had on me like going to bed before they did and needing naps during the day. We told their teachers and coaches and any adults who might be in a position of supporting them. We leaned on our community. They held us up. We got through it together.”
As well as her ongoing podcast, Office Ladies, this year also saw Jenna joining the cast of the Mean Girls big-screen musical as Cady Heron’s mum.