The Office star Jenna Fischer has revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.
The actress, 50, who played Pam Beesly on the show, battled Stage 1 Triple Positive breast cancer which she said was ‘aggressive but treatable’
She posted a candid photo of herself with shorter hair after undergoing chemotherapy treatment – and implored her fans to get regular mammograms in an emotional post on Tuesday.
She wrote: ‘October is breast cancer awareness month. I never thought I’d be making an announcement like this but here we are.
‘Last December, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Positive Breast Cancer. After completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation I am now cancer free.
The Office star Jenna Fischer has revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year
The actress, 50, who played Pam Beesly on the show, battled Stage 1 Triple Positive breast cancer which she said was ‘aggressive but treatable’ – pictured 2019
‘I wanted a photo of myself in my patchy pixie looking happy and healthy to go along with this news. A big thank you to Angela Kinsey’s husband Josh Snyder for taking this photo. It’s just one example of the care they showed me during this journey.’
The star said the cancer had first been detected during a routine mammogram – with Jenna joking in an Instagram video about her appointment.
Dense tissue was found in her left breast and she was ordered to have a further screening – before she was diagnosed with breast cancer on December 1, 2023.
She wrote in further slides: ‘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.’
She said she hid her hair loss with some ‘really great wigs’ writing: ‘I’m making this announcement for a few reasons. One, I’m ready to ditch the wigs. Two, to implore you to get your annual mammograms.
‘You can also ask your doctor to calculate your Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score and get any additional screenings required. I’m serious, call your doctor right now.
‘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.
‘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 is pictured in The Office with John Krasinski as Jim Halpert
She wrote in further slides: ‘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’
Jenna shared a photo with husband Lee Kirk and their children as they celebrated the end of her treatment
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.’
Jenna is married to Lee Kirk and the pair share a son Weston Lee, 13, and daughter, Harper Marie, 10.
She paid a sweet tribute to her husband in her final slide with a photo of the family celebrating the end of her treatment.
‘Finally I need to mention my husband Lee who has been by my side through all of this. And I mean literally by my side, surgeries, chemotherapy, doctor appointments, endless googling, late night ugly cries.
‘He was there for it all. I knew he was a catch when I married him. I was right. After my final chemo and radiation treatments Lee asked me if there was anything I wanted to celebrate
‘I said I simply wanted to ring a bell with the kids in our backyard with everyone throwing confetti. So we did it
‘I’m happy to say that I was recently re-screened and the treatments worked. I am cancer free.
‘I will continue to be treated and monitored to help me stay that way.’
‘Don’t skip your mammogram. Take it from Pam and her Pams.Michael was right. Get ’em checked ladies.’
She is most famous for her role as Pam Beesly in The Office from 2005-2013 – with John Krasinski playing her love interest Jim Alpert. Their characters got married on the NBC show and garnered a huge fandom.