The star of the hit sitcom reveals battle with ‘aggressive’ breast cancer

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly on the hit TV show “The Office,” announced Tuesday that she is recovering after battling an “aggressive” form of breast cancer.

Fischer, 50, says in a post on Instagram that she was diagnosed with stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer on December 1, 2023. The diagnosis was made after a routine mammogram, she says.

“In October 2023, I posted a photo on Instagram of myself preparing for my routine mammogram with the joking reminder to ‘watch the ticking time bags’ a la Michael Scott,” Fischer writes. Scott was the clueless and often rude store manager on The Office, played by Steve Carell.

Fischer says the mammogram results were inconclusive, so her doctor ordered an ultrasound, which led to a biopsy and the discovery of the cancer.

Although triple-positive breast cancer is aggressive, it is also easily treatable, writes Fischer. She says she underwent chemotherapy and radiation, which caused her to lose her hair.

“Fortunately, my cancer was caught early and it had not spread to my lymph nodes or the rest of my body,” Fischer writes. Her chemotherapy and radiation treatments are complete and she is cancer-free, but she is still being treated with Herceptin and tamoxifen infusions, she says.

“I’m happy to say I’m doing great,” she writes.

However, she encourages women to remain vigilant when it comes to breast cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“I am making this announcement for several reasons. First, I’m ready to throw away the wigs. Second, to ask you to get your annual mammograms,” she says. “I’m serious, call your doctor immediately. My tumor was so small that it could not be felt during a physical exam. If I had waited six months longer, things could have been much worse. It could have spread.”

While Fischer has had roles in several TV shows and films, she is best known for her nine seasons on “The Office,” which ended in 2013 but is still frequently shown in syndication.