Danielle Fishel, who is best known for starring as Topanga Lawrence on the sitcom from 1993 until 2000, has announced that she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 43.
Fishel’s Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Fishel, the dream girl of many Millenials, made this announcement on Monday’s episode of her podcast Pod Meets World. She let her fans know that she’s been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer that is known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
“So I would like to share something with our listeners … I was recently diagnosed with DCIS which is a form of breast cancer,” said Fishel, who is a mother of two children.
“It is very, very, very early. It’s technically stage zero,” she added. “I was diagnosed with high grade DCIS with micro invasion. And I’m going to be fine, I’m having surgery to remove it.”
Fishel went on to say that she has had “some follow-up treatment.”
“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.
Related: ‘Boy Meets World’ Actress Determined To Keep Doing Adult Films While Also Acting On Mainstream TV
Fishel Thought She ‘Would Suffer In Silence’
Fishel then revealed why she decided to go public with her diagnosis.
“For some reason I had always thought [if I were diagnosed with cancer] I would suffer in silence. I would get the diagnosis, I would not tell anyone,” she stated. “I would tell only my small group and then I would just suck it up. And then when I’m on the other side of it then I would tell people.”
“But the place you have the most to learn from is that at the very beginning of a story or in the very messy middle of a story,” she continued. “My first instinct when I was diagnosed was to do that clam up thing … and then what I realized is the more people I talk to, the more people have their own experiences.”
Fishel warned that her working schedule for the podcast might be put on “hold” while she undergoes treatment. She’s hoping that others will be inspired to have regular check-ups after hearing her story.
“The fact that I am good about going to my doctor’s appointments when, truthfully, it would be so much easier with as busy as I am … it would be so easy to say, ‘I don’t have time for that. I went to my mammogram last year, I was fine…’ And I didn’t … and they found it so early that I’m going to be fine,” she concluded.
Related: Olivia Munn Reveals Extreme Measure She Took After Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Fishel’s History
Fishel was just 12 years-old when she rose to fame on Boy Meets World. She then reprised her character on Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World from 2014 until 2017.
These days, Fishel hosts Pod Meets World with her former Boy Meets World co-stars Rider Strong and Will Friedle. They were there to support her when she revealed her breast cancer diagnosis to the world.
While we’re glad that Fishel’s cancer was caught early, this was still a terrifying experience for her. Please join us in saying a prayer for her as she begins treatment!
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