“The Office US” star Jenna Fischer reveals cancer diagnosis

Actress Jenna Fischer has revealed that she has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer since December last year.

Jenna, best known for her role as receptionist Pam Beesly on the US version of The Office, said she is “now cancer free” after surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.

“I'm happy to say I'm doing great,” Jenna shared on Instagram, adding that she spoke openly about her treatment to encourage other people to look for signs of the disease.

“If I had waited six months longer, things could have been much worse,” she wrote.

Jenna, who also hosts the Office Ladies podcast, played Pam in the mockumentary series between 2005 and 2013 alongside Steve Carrell, who plays regional manager Michael Scott.

The acclaimed series, based on the BBC series of the same name written by and starring Ricky Gervais, is one of the most-watched series on Netflix and consistently ranks among the most popular US sitcoms.

Jenna said her cancer was discovered after a routine exam in October 2023, which she said she put off.

“Seeing women posting photos of their mammogram appointments on Instagram made me want to schedule my own appointments (which I was late for)” she wrote.

After that appointment, she said further testing revealed she had “stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer.”

Jenna said her cancer was “luckily” caught early, but the tumor was aggressive and therefore required multiple rounds of treatment.

There are a number of types of breast cancer, some of which, such as: B. triple-positive breast cancer is called hormone receptor-positive cancer.

This means that the growth of the tumors is promoted by hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and a protein called HER2, which occur naturally in the body

These cancers are much more likely to respond to drug treatments that target these hormones to stop the cancer cells from dividing and growing.

According to the NHS, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the UK, but can also affect men.

More than 50,000 people in the UK are diagnosed every year Figures from cancer research suggest that one in seven women in the country will receive a diagnosis during their lifetime.

More than 11,000 Brits still die every year, but Cancer Research says survival rates are improving, with 76% of patients living at least 10 years after diagnosis.

While undergoing chemotherapy, Jenna said she lost her hair and shared a photo on Instagram of her “patchy pixie” cut growing back.

She said she was ready to “throw away the wigs” she had worn over the past year, adding that “many people” in her life didn't know she was undergoing treatment.

“I needed spaces and people who didn’t see me as a cancer patient.”

But she emphasized the support she received from people who knew, including her co-star Angela Kinsey, who plays fussy security guard Angela Martin on the series and co-hosts the Office Ladies podcast.

“When I lost my hair, she wore hats to our work meetings to make sure I wasn’t the only one,” Jenna said.

Jenna told her followers that she was “continuing to be treated and monitored” and urged fans: “Get her checked out, ladies.”

“My tumor was so small that it couldn't be felt during a physical exam,” she wrote, adding that it could have spread if she had delayed her scans.

“Should you be diagnosed with breast cancer,” she wrote, “there will be a village waiting to care for you.”

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