“Boy Meets World ”star Danielle Fishel reveals breast cancer diagnosis: What does a DCIS diagnosis mean?
"If you’ve never had an appointment before, get in there. If you have to find out you have cancer, find out at stage zero if possible.”
Danielle Fishel is encouraging others to attend their yearly health appointments after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
The actress, 43, shared the news on Monday’s episode of Pod Meets World, her Boy Meets World re-watch podcast with costars Will Friedle and Rider Strong.
“I was recently diagnosed with DCIS, which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ, which is a form of breast cancer,” Fishel explained. “It is very, very, very early. It’s technically stage 0. To be specific, just because I like too much information all the time, I was diagnosed with high grade DCIS with micro-invasion and I’m gonna be fine. I’m having surgery to remove it.”
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Danielle FishelAccording to the Mayo Clinic, ductal carcinoma in situ is a “very early form of breast cancer” where the “cancer cells are confined inside a milk duct in the breast” and have not yet spread into the breast tissue. It is usually discovered via a mammogram and “has a low risk of spreading and becoming life-threatening.” Treatment options include surgery, as well as radiation and hormone therapy.
Fishel chose to come forward with her diagnosis as a way to encourage others to schedule their own check ups. “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 said, noting that it would be “so easy to say, ‘I don’t have time for that. I went to my mammogram last year. I was fine last year. I don’t need to go again this year.’”
She added, “They found it so, so, so early that I’m going to be fine. I hope it will encourage anyone to get in there [and get checked]. If it’s time for your appointment, if you’ve never had an appointment before, get in there. If you have to find out you have cancer, find out at stage zero if possible.”
Fishel admitted that she still has “some big decisions ahead of me about what I want to do for treatment” moving forward.
“I still have doctors I need to meet with oncologists, radiation specialists, hormone therapists, all kinds of stuff that I have still in front of me to decide,” she said. “But I did want to let our dear listeners know because we’re going to try and have it not affect [the podcast]… but there are possibilities we may have to put things on hold depending on what treatments I go through.”
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Strong and Friedle also voiced their support for Fishel following her diagnosis. “It’s mindboggling. Right now, my wife and I know four people — four friends — who are dealing with breast cancer,” Strong said, before reiterating that listeners should “get checked.”
Friedle added, “For men, too, prostate exams and colonoscopies… these are all things that are super important, so don’t put them off. And we’re so glad you didn’t because you are going to be fine. You might have some sucky days, but we’re here for you.”
Listen to Fishel discuss her diagnosis in the podcast above.
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