Actress Jenna Fischer Shares Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Her 'Patchy Pixie' Cut
Michelle Milliken
“The Office” star Jenna Fischer says she was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly a year ago and is sharing her story now to encourage women to schedule their mammograms.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, which was accompanied by a picture with her “patchy pixie” cut, Fischer said she was a bit behind on getting her screening last year but was encouraged to rectify that after she saw Instagram photos of other women getting their mammograms.
She writes, “Back in October of 2023 I posted a photo of myself on Instagram preparing for my routine mammogram with a joking reminder to ‘take care of your ticking time bags’ a la Michael Scott. After inconclusive results on that mammogram due to dense breast tissue, my doctor ordered a breast ultrasound.”
This led to follow-up testing on something suspicious on her left breast. On December 1, she was diagnosed with stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease in which cancer cells grow through estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and the HER2 protein. It accounts for about 10% of breast cancer cases overall.
Fischer explains that the tumor was caught early enough that it had not spread to lymph nodes or elsewhere in the body, so she was able to get a lumpectomy, rather than a mastectomy. However, the aggressive nature of the disease required 12 rounds of weekly chemo and three weeks of radiation.
Throughout this extensive treatment, though, Fischer says “generosity and kindness” rained down on her, from doctors, nurses, survivors, and family and friends.
She writes, “Each person had their own special way of caring for us. Some people texted me every week of chemo, some took me for walks, picked up our kids from school, dropped off food, took me wig shopping, some sent prayers in the form of audio messages. Every gesture big or small was felt. All of it was perfect.”
She also says her two children, aged 13 and 10, and her husband Lee Kirk were there each step of the way, including at a backyard celebration involving bell ringing and confetti when she finished her last round of treatment. She shared the photo of that confetti inundation along with her announcement.
A special shout out was also given to her "Office Ladies" podcast co-host and best friend Angela Kinsey, who played Angela Martin on the long-running sitcom. Fischer says Kinsey was the only one at work who knew about her diagnosis for a long time, and she’d often wear hats alongside her so no one would suspect anything. She’d also help Fischer take breaks when treatment was getting to be a bit much.
However, she’s finally ready to shed the wigs and hats with wigs, which she says her family liked to call “wigats”.
She writes, “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.”
She adds that she hopes to be a source of support for anyone going through the same diagnosis, as survivors who encouraged her have become like sisters to her.
Just after her announcement, she shared a photo of herself wig and hat-free at Green Day’s “American Idiot” the musical, for which she had glowing reviews.
She says a recent re-screening showed she was cancer-free, and she will continue to be monitored and receive treatments, including the estrogen blocker Tamoxifen.
