Danielle Fishel revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The “Boy Meets World” alum, 43, shared the news in Monday’s episode of her “Pod Meets World” podcast, telling listeners that her former co-stars-turned-co-hosts, Rider Strong and Will Friedle, were some of the first to know.
“I was recently diagnosed with DCIS, which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ, which is a form of breast cancer,” she said.
“It is very, very, very early. It’s technically stage zero. To be specific, just because I like too much information all the time, I was diagnosed with high-grade DCIS with micro-invasion.”
Fishel assured fans she was “going to be fine” and planned to have surgery to remove the cancer.
“I’m going to be on some follow-up treatment,” she explained. “I’ve had to make a lot of decisions over the last couple of days.”
DCIS occurs when cells inside a breast duct “develop changes in their DNA,” leading to too many cells, according to the Mayo Clinic: “In DCIS, the cancer cells don’t yet have the ability to break out of the breast duct and spread into the breast tissue.”
The former “Girl Meets World” actress decided to share her diagnosis to encourage women to say on top of their annual mammograms.
“The only reason I caught this cancer when it is still stage zero is because the day I got my text message that my yearly mammogram had come up, I made the appointment,” she explained. “They found it so, so, so early that I’m going to be fine. I hope it will encourage anyone to get in there. If you have to find out you have cancer, find out at stage zero if possible.”
The mom of two, who is best known for her role as Topanga Lawrence, said she is in the initial stages of treatment and still has some “big decisions” to make after meeting with an oncologist and radiologist.
Strong, 44, called Fishel’s diagnosis “mind-boggling” because of how many people he knows with the disease.
“Right now, my wife and I know four people — four friends — who are dealing with breast cancer,” Strong said, encouraging fans to “get checked.”
Friedle added, “We’re so glad you didn’t [put it off] because you are going to be fine. You might have some sucky days, but we’re here for you.”
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Source: The Wall Street Journal
