The Office star Jenna Fischer has revealed how she relied on celebrity pal Christina Applegate following her breast cancer diagnosis.
Just one week after the 50-year-old publicly revealed her Stage 1 Triple Positive breast cancer diagnosis, which she noted was ‘aggressive but treatable,’ the actress opened up about her treatment and support system.
While speaking to the Today Show’s Hoda Kotb, the Hollywood heavyweight also lifted the lid on how 52-year-old Christina, who was diagnosed with MS in 2021, was a source of comfort for her.
After receiving her diagnosis, Jenna revealed that she sought comfort in her pal who insisted she ‘knew’ she had cancer.
Jenna described the emotional journey that led to her discovering she would have to undergo chemotherapy and the various ways Christina helped her by being ‘salty.’
The Office star Jenna Fischer revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year
Jenna admitted that Christina was one of the first people she told about the situation.
She told the outlet: ‘I called her, 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.’
‘She’s salty. Salty language that one. I love her for it.’
The Office star also said that Christina helped put her in touch with various other breast cancer survivors.
Recalling how she got diagnosed, Jenna revealed that it all started when she went for her annual mammogram in October 2023.
She told Hoda: ‘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.”
At the time, Jenna admitted that she felt ‘no level of concern.’
Just one week after the 50-year-old publicly revealed her Stage 1 Triple Positive breast cancer diagnosis, the actress spoke out about her treatment
She said that she relied on celebrity pal Christina Applegate following her breast cancer diagnosis
Jenna described the emotional journey that led to her discovering she would have to undergo chemotherapy and the various ways Christina helped her by being ‘salty’ (the pair seen in 2011)
Following her ultrasound, doctors advised the Hollywood A-lister to undergo a biopsy as they shared that there was a ’10 per cent chance it’s cancerous.’
She added: ‘I checked the portal on the hike, and that’s when I saw words like invasive, ductal, carcinoma, malignant. And I was like, ‘Those words sound like cancer words.”
Following the portal message, Jenna phoned her husband, Lee Kirk, and told him the news, adding that she still wasn’t sure it was cancer.
She revealed that she was in ‘disbelief’ before sharing how she broke the devastating news to her kids.
Jenna revealed that she and Lee sat down and told their children, Weston Lee, 13, and Harper Marie, 10, the news in a very ‘honest’ conversation.
The actress admitted that her treatment, which saw her undergoing chemotherapy, a lumpectomy and radiation, helped her be more grateful for the ‘annoying’ things in life like ‘traffic.’
Jenna – who is now cancer-free – credited the success of her treatment to early diagnosis as she urged other women to book their appointments.
While speaking to Today Show’s Hoda Kotb, the Hollywood heavyweight lifted the lid on how she came to get diagnosed
Jenna shared a photo with husband Lee Kirk and their children as they celebrated the end of her treatment
She told the outlet: ‘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.’
Last week, Jenna shared a candid photo of herself with shorter hair after undergoing chemotherapy treatment – and implored her fans to get regular mammograms.
She wrote: ‘October is breast cancer awareness month. I never thought I’d be making an announcement like this but here we are.
‘Last December, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Triple Positive Breast Cancer. After completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation I am now cancer free.’
Jenna is married to Lee and the pair share a son Weston Lee, 13, and daughter, Harper Marie, 10.
She is most famous for her role as Pam Beesly in The Office from 2005-2013 – with John Krasinski playing her love interest Jim Alpert. Their characters got married on the NBC show and garnered a huge fandom.
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