Jenna Fischer recently shared that late last year she had been diagnosed with Stage 1 triple positive breast cancer. After a lumpectomy and months of chemotherapy and radiation, she was finally declared cancer free. She’ll still be treated with infusions of two other medications. Jenna said that she was sharing her story because she wanted to urge other women to stay on top of their mammograms and because she has lost all of her hair during chemo and was tired of wearing wigs. Now, Jenna is sharing more info with us about her diagnosis and treatment plan, in the hopes of giving hope and comfort to other women who are fighting breast cancer. She sat down with Hoda Kotb for an interview on the Today Show, which aired on Monday.
“The appointment that won’t end”: The actor told Hoda that in October 2023, she went in for her routine mammogram appointment that she had been putting off. “Three weeks later, they said, ‘Oh, your mammogram was fine. There were a few spots that were difficult to see. You have very dense tissue. We would recommend that you do another mammogram and maybe follow up with a breast ultrasound,’” she said of the conversation with her doctor. “I was like, ‘This is the appointment that won’t end.”
She didn’t think there was anything to worry about: She explained that she felt “no level of concern” when she went back for her breast ultrasound. However, they then asked her to do a biopsy, saying it likely was a “10% chance it’s cancerous.”
She found out through the patient portal: Fischer said she was on a hike by herself when she received the results via her patient portal. “I checked the portal on the hike, and that’s when I saw words like ‘invasive,’ ‘ductal,’ ‘carcinoma,’ ‘malignant,’” she said. “And I was like, ‘Those words sound like cancer words.’” She then called her husband, Lee Kirk, to tell him the results, though she wasn’t sure it was cancer until her doctor confirmed it later that same day.
Hearing about chemo made it real: When her doctor told her of her diagnosis, Fischer said she just felt “disbelief. I think the word that really got me was when we found out that I was triple-positive and my oncologist said chemotherapy. That was when I really lost it,” she said.
On losing her hair: “I started by having just a big bald patch down this side of my head. And I would kind of do a real elaborate comb-over,” she said, laughing. “I was like, ‘Oh, I understand why the gentlemen do this now. Yes, I can sort of pretend like that isn’t there for a while.’” Although Fischer said she considered it, she never had a “big shave-your-head moment.” Aside from styling her new part, she said she also opted to wear more hats and wigs during treatment.
Christina Applegate was really supportive: “I called [Christina Applegate], and she answered the phone, and she said, ‘Which one is it?’ And I said, ‘It’s breast cancer.’ And she said, ‘I effing knew it.’” Fischer recalled of their conversation. “She’s salty. Salty language that one. I love her for it.” Fischer said Applegate put her in touch with fellow survivors and that they took on her journey “together.”
Humor helped get her through treatments: “Humor helped through all of this. And working helped. And staying in the world helped,” she said. “My oncology nurse, Ron, was an amazing man. … When I started chemotherapy, he said to me, ‘Listen, I want you to get up every day, and I want you to walk. Every day. I want you to drink a ton of water. Walking and water. That’s what I want you to do. And I want you to take care of those kids. The women who get up and at it are the women who do better in my experience.’”
The best advice she got: Fischer said some of the best advice she received was to “live your life during this process,” while also listening to her body. “I did that,” she said. “And some days I just walked circles in my own living room. Some days I walked all around the block. But I did every day get up and do those things. And I think it made a really big difference.”
With a little help from her friends: “So many people took care of me, and my family, and my children, and I am so grateful for it — in so many small ways,” she said. “And the thing is, is that everybody had the right way or the perfect way to do it.” Fischer explained that some friends put her chemotherapy schedule on their calendars, while others sent thoughtful texts and picked her kids up from school. She said her mother-in-law recorded prayers that she would send before treatments.
The importance of normalcy and those “charming” annoyances: “I liked that people were annoyed if I was late with an email,” she said. “I liked being regarded as my old self, so to speak. All of the most important things became so clear so quickly. And the cool thing is that that focus never leaves. So I will get to carry that with me now. … I’ll say I find the world to be such a beautiful place in all of its quirkiness.” Fischer added that everyday annoyances have suddenly become “charming” to her. “Like, you know, just traffic. ‘Oh, look at you, cute traffic. Look at all the people just goin’ places,’” she said. “How great that I get to sit in traffic. How cool.”
Get the girls checked out: “Please don’t skip your mammogram appointment. Please get all the extra screenings that the doctor wants you to get. If I had waited six more months, it could have been much worse. It could have spread. It was a very aggressive form of cancer. I’m really lucky that my cancer had not spread into my lymph nodes. It hadn’t spread anywhere else in my body. My tumor was still very small, too small to feel That’s the thing. A self-exam would not have (caught the cancer). It really was that routine mammogram that started all of this. And I’m so grateful that I went to that appointment.”
I’m really glad that Jenna is sharing her story. It’s so important to talk about these things. If she can inspire someone to stop putting off getting a mammogram or encourage even just one woman who feels like something is “off” to make an appointment to get checked out, then she could save a life. I got my first mammogram last weekend and also was told I have dense breast tissue and need to go back for an ultrasound. The technician warned me that it may not be covered, but Jenna’s story was at the top of my mind, so I told them that was fine and went ahead and scheduled it for later this week. (I did call my insurance and it’s covered under my plan but it is insane that some plans do not cover this!)
I love what Jenna had to say about how it was important for her to live her life while going through all of this, and how the mundane and the annoyance were welcomed to maintain some semblance of sanity, normalcy, and perspective. She’s also really lucky to have such a great support system. Christina Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, when she was 36 years old. Since then, she’s been a big advocate, setting up a foundation to help women pay for MRIs and paying it forward by doing what she can to call and support breast cancer patients. That’s so admirable. I have no doubt that Jenna will pay it forward as well.
I’m so glad that Jenna is using her diagnosis to advocate for others. On a side note, on a recent podcast she talked about feeling insecure about her hair loss and wearing a lot of hats indoors to meetings, and then seeing her best friend/business partner Angela also start wearing hats so she wouldn’t feel alone. I just thought that was such a sweet way to show up for each other.
I’m so glad she’s sharing her story.
Please also learn about your breat density. It be really important for early diagnosis. densebreasts.ca
*is* really important for early diagnosis.
*sigh*
I want to highlight what her oncological nurse said about drinking A TON of water and moving around. It absolutely makes a difference in making you feel better and bounce back between infusions. I tracked my water intake and made sure I had 4+ liters/day and overnight, especially after chemo because I wanted that stuff out of my body. As for the losing hair, I shaved my head the second it started falling out because its really the falling out part that made it such a nightmare. I wore bandannas and scarves on my head and hats during the winter (I went bald twice because I had 2 stem cell transplants and those wipe out all body hair). I found my scalp to be too sensitive and my newly menopausal body too sweaty to go with wigs. God bless Jenna for being so open about all this; we need to uplift and support everyone that endures cancer and its treatment.
I feel like I keep hearing that someone’s mammogram was fine but the ultrasound was not, which leads me to conclude that they need to do more ultrasounds. I wish they’d figure out a way to really catch this. Why can’t we just have yearly pet scans?
I was diagnosed with breast cancer this summer. I also have dense breasts and my mammograms have been regular in the past. My cancer was found by ultrasound and the diagnostic radiologist said while he couldn’t be 100% sure that it was cancer without a biopsy he was 99% sure that it was cancer. He was right and it was confirmed by biopsy. I had a double mastectomy and reconstruction and currently getting chemotherapy. It is a long journey and can be isolating even with all the love and support. I am so happy that Jenna is advocating and is cancer free. It gives us hope to those of us currently battling to be cancer free.
I have dense breast tissue and the state health department sends me a letter every year when I get my mammogram to tell me that the mammogram might not catch everything. So far, I’ve had one spot biopsied that was benign, but I don’t understand why they don’t just have women with dense breast tissue go straight to ultrasound. Is there a reason that’s not standard?
I really like Jenna and admire her perspective and openness in sharing what she has gone through.
Fun fact, back many years ago when she was on The Office I was a struggling actress in LA and went to an acting coach that knew her. I recall reaching out to her over social media (maybe MySpace lol) and she actually replied and was very lovely.
I wish her the best in her recovery.