Danielle Fishel, who played Topanga Lawrence on beloved ’90s sitcom “Boy Meets World,” says she has been diagnosed with a very early form of breast cancer.
Fishel, 43, announced the news on Monday’s episode of “Pod Meets World,” the rewatch podcast she has with friends and former costars Rider Strong and Will Friedle. She opened the podcast by saying she’d like to share something with the listeners.
“Something that Rider and Will were actually two of the first people I told the news to,” Fishel said. “I was recently diagnosed with DCIS, which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ. Which is a form of breast cancer.”
She described it as “technically stage zero” for how early it was detected by doctors, assuring fans that she was going to be fine. Fishel’s current plan is to have surgery to remove the cancerous cells, with followup treatments that are yet to be decided, she said.
The actor credits a text message reminder that she needed her annual mammogram, and making an appointment the moment she received it, with how early the cancerous cells were found.
Fishel told fans she decided to share the news, despite always thinking she would “suffer in silence” if ever she had such a medical issue, because she has since learned from the experiences of others. She referenced author Glennon Doyle’s perspective that many people share bad news after its over so that they may present a pretty picture.
“But the place you have the most to learn from is at the beginning of a story or the very messy middle of a story,” Fishel said.
The more she told people in her close circle, the more “the world of experiences” opened up to her, Fishel said. She hopes that her sharing her own experience will encourage others to “get in there” at the doctor’s office.
“If you have to find out you have cancer, find out at stage zero if possible,” Fishel said.
The American Cancer Society describes DCIS as a pre-invasive group of cancerous cells that have not yet spread to the breast tissue surrounding it. But it can metastasize to other parts of the body if not removed.
“About 1 in 5 new breast cancers will be ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS),” the organization’s website says. “Nearly all women with this early stage of breast cancer can be cured.”
Friedle and Strong offered their support, with Friedle assuring Fishel that they were there for whatever she needed. Strong noted that he and his wife currently know four people all dealing with breast cancer.
“It’s just the age, it’s the time we live in, I don’t know,” Strong said. “But yeah, definitely get checked.”
Friedle followed up by saying that cancer does appear to be “more prolific” than before.
“For men too, prostate exams and colonoscopies, these are all things that are super important. Don’t put them off,” Friedle said. “And we are so glad you didn’t because you are going to be fine, and you might have sucky days coming up, but we’re here for you.”