Jenna Fischer Announced Her Breast Cancer Diagnosis With Several 'The Office' References

Actor Jenna Fischer stepped into the entertainment industry in the late 1990s, and hasn't looked back since. After multiple guest spots on TV shows like Spin City and That '70s Show, she landed her first starring role as Pam Beesly in The Office. Her fame from the NBC comedy brought on multiple movie roles, including Blades of Glory and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story where she played opposite Will Ferrell. However, more recently, Jenna has stepped out of the actor's chair to get real about her health.

In October 2024, she revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer the year before. Thankfully, Jenna is cancer free as of this writing, though she said it was a long road to recovery.

Here's everything she's said about her cancer diagnosis.

On Oct. 8, 2024, Jenna took to Instagram to discuss her cancer journey with her fans. While the actor confirmed she was "I am cancer-free" in her post, she kept the diagnosis private when it happened in real time. In the post, Jenna explained that she discovered she had cancer after a routine mammogram, adding that she wanted to listen to her former fictional boss, Michael Scott's (Steve Carrell) advice to "take care of your ticking time bags."

Jenna said the mammogram came back "inconclusive" due to dense tissue on her breast, which led to her stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer diagnosis.

"They found something in my left breast," she recalled on Instagram. "A biopsy was ordered. Then, on December 1, 2023, I learned I had stage 1 triple positive breast cancer.”

Jenna explained in her 7-slide Instagram statement that her cancer diagnosis was an "aggressive form of breast cancer" but was highly treatable if taken care of immediately. Fortunately, she said the cancer hadn't spread to her lymph nodes, and she had a lumpectomy in January 2024 to remove the tumor. However, due to the "aggressive nature" of the diagnosis, she underwent "12 rounds of weekly chemotherapy" plus three weeks of radiation.

Jenna shared that she lost her hair due to the chemo, stating she's worn wigs and hats with hair, affectionally called "Wigats" by her family, during public events. She said wearing the wigs further inspired her to speak out.

"I'm making this announcement for a few reasons," Jenna added. "One, I'm ready to ditch the wigs. Two, to implore you to get your annual mammograms."

While Jenna is cancer-free today, she said she wouldn't have made it this far without having a support system throughout the entire experience.

"It takes a village to fight cancer, and I have had an amazing village," Jenna said in her Instagram post. "Until this happened, I don't think I really knew the generosity and kindness that could rain down from one person to another. It started with a team of doctors and nurses. All of them angels."

In her post, she praised her husband, Lee, for being "literally by my side" for appointments, surgeries, Google searches and uninitiated "ugly cries" about the situation. She also said her children made things easier by watching their mom continue her routines while also being honest about them about the "limitations" her treatment brought, such as fatigue, which caused her to nap during the day.

Some of Jenna's other "village" members included her best friend and Office Ladies Podcast co-host, Angela Kinsey. She then ended the post with another warning for people with breasts to get routine mammograms while adding another Office reference.

"Again, don't skip your mammogram," the actor warned. "Take it from Pam and her Pams. Michael was right. Get 'em checked ladies. And know that should you get a breast cancer diagnosis, there is a village waiting for you."