The Office star Jenna Fischer revealed that her cancer was discovered after a routine scan in October 2023, which she admitted she had delayed. “Seeing women post photos of their mammogram appointments on Instagram needled me into setting my own (which I was late for),” she wrote.
After this appointment, further tests revealed she had “stage 1 triple positive breast cancer.” Jenna explained that, “luckily,” the cancer was detected early, but it was aggressive and required multiple rounds of treatment.
The Office Star Announces Cancer Diagnosis
During chemotherapy, Jenna lost her hair and shared a photo on Instagram of her “patchy pixie” cut as it started to grow back. She mentioned she was ready to “ditch the wigs” she had worn over the past year, noting that “many people” in her life had been unaware she was undergoing treatment.
“I needed spaces and people who did not regard me as a cancer patient,” Jenna explained.
However, she acknowledged the support from those who were aware, including her close friend and co-star Angela Kinsey, who plays Angela Martin on The Office and co-hosts the Office Ladies podcast with her.
“When I lost my hair, she wore hats to our work meetings to make sure I wasn’t the only one,” Jenna said.
What Is Triple Positive Breast Cancer?
Triple positive breast cancer is a type of hormone receptor-positive cancer. These cancers grow in response to hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, and a protein called HER2, which are naturally present in the body.
Cancers of this kind are often more responsive to treatments that target these hormones, helping to prevent cancer cells from multiplying and growing.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women in the UK, according to the NHS, though men can also develop it. Over 50,000 people in the UK are diagnosed each year, and Cancer Research suggests that one in seven women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis during their lifetime.
The disease claims over 11,000 lives annually in the UK, but survival rates are improving, with 76% of patients living for at least 10 years after diagnosis, according to Cancer Research.
Diagnosis
To diagnose triple-positive breast cancer, doctors analyze a biopsy sample to assess hormone receptors and HER2 levels. One common method is the immunohistochemistry (IHC) test, which uses antibodies to detect estrogen and progesterone receptors in cancer cells. This test determines whether cancer cells contain these receptors or elevated HER2 levels.
Another method, the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) test, can measure HER2 levels in cancer cells. The FISH test employs a specialized fluorescent dye and DNA to identify chromosome changes and HER2 gene levels.
Treatment
Treating triple-positive breast cancer typically involves a combination of approaches, tailored to the individual case. Surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible is common, with options ranging from partial to total breast removal. Additional treatments may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor or after surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells. These may include:
Chemotherapy
Radiation therapy
Targeted therapy
Hormone therapy
According to a 2018 article, treatment for triple-positive breast cancer often includes hormone therapy targeting hormone receptors, either alone or combined with drugs targeting HER2. Hormone therapy options vary depending on whether the patient is premenopausal or postmenopausal.
For premenopausal patients, treatment options may include:
Oophorectomy, the surgical removal of ovaries
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists to temporarily halt estrogen production by the ovaries
Medications like tamoxifen, which binds to hormone receptors in cancer cells, preventing access to the hormones needed for growth
For postmenopausal patients, treatments may involve:
Aromatase inhibitors like letrozole, anastrozole, or exemestane, which block the enzyme aromatase from converting other hormones into estrogen
A combination of tamoxifen and fulvestrant, a selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD)
HER2-targeted treatments may include:
Monoclonal antibodies like trastuzumab or pertuzumab
Combining trastuzumab and pertuzumab with chemotherapy for enhanced effectiveness
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as lapatinib or neratinib, sometimes combined with trastuzumab
Antibody-drug conjugates like trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1)
A newer option, CDK4/6 inhibitors, can prevent cancer cell growth. These drugs, including palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib, may be used alongside hormone therapy to treat triple-positive breast cancer.
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