Jenna Fischer made all of us laugh for years playing Pam Beesly on the beloved sitcom The Office, but this year the actress underwent an ordeal that was no laughing matter.
In a social media post, Fischer, 50, announced that she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy treatments — but revealed an encouraging update.
In honor of breast cancer awareness month, Fischer broke the news earlier today that she was diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Positive Breast Cancer last December.
In October 2023, Fischer went in for a routine mammogram, and her doctor ordered a breast ultrasound after getting inconclusive results. The ultrasound revealed something in her left breast, and on December 1 she was diagnosed with cancer.
She described her diagnosis as “an aggressive form of breast cancer” but one that was also “highly responsive to treatment.”
“Luckily my cancer was caught early and it hadn’t spread into my lymph nodes or throughout the rest of my body,” Fischer explained. “However because of the aggressive nature of triple positive breast cancer it still required chemotherapy and radiation to be sure it didn’t return.”
After the diagnosis, Fischer underwent months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and continues to receive infusions of Herceptin and Tamoxifen, but the actress wrote that she is “cancer free” and “feeling great.”
Fischer wrote that “it takes a village to fight cancer,” and thanked the many people who supported her through her health battle, including the doctors and nurses who treated her, her husband Lee and their two children.
She also thanked her friend and former Office co-star Angela Kinsey, who knew about Fischer’s diagnosis and supported her while she balanced work on their podcast Office Ladies with her treatments.
Fischer said that she has worn wigs and hats to cover up the chemo-related hair loss, but she is now ready to “ditch the wigs” and shared a photo of her natural short hair.
She said that she also wanted to break silence on her diagnosis to encourage women to get their annual mammograms. “I’m serious, call your doctor right now,” she wrote. “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.”
Fischer also referenced a moment in The Office where boss Michael Scott suggests Pam get a mammogram and referred to her breasts as “ticking time bags.” While it may have been inappropriate coming from her boss, the advice is still sound.
“Take it from Pam and her Pam Pams. Michael was right. Get ’em checked ladies,” Fischer wrote. “And know that should you get a breast cancer diagnosis, there is a village waiting to care for you.”
Jenna Fischer gained fame playing receptionist Pam Beesly on The Office for all 9 seasons, receiving an Emmy Award nomination in 2007. She also appeared in the films Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and Hall Pass.
Fischer has also co-hosted the hit podcast Office Ladies since 2019, alongside Angela Kinsey (who played uptight accountant Angela on The Office). The two friends recap every episode of the sitcom, sharing memories and behind-the-scenes trivia.
We are glad to hear that Jenna Fischer is cancer free after being diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and thank her for opening up and sharing her story to encourage other women to get tested 💕
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