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Boy Meets World alum Danielle Fishel reveals breast cancer diagnosis

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Boy Meets World alum Danielle Fishel reveals breast cancer diagnosis

 

Danielle Fishel has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The 43-year-old actress – who is best known for playing Topanga Lawrence on the teen sitcom Boy Meets World – has revealed that she’s been diagnosed with ‘a form of breast cancer’.

Speaking on the Pod Meets World podcast, Danielle explained: ‘I was recently diagnosed with DCIS, which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ, which is a form of breast cancer.

‘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.’

Danielle Fishel has been diagnosed with breast cancer; pictured 2018

Fishel is best known for playing Topanga Lawrence on the teen sitcom Boy Meets World; pictured far R with co-stars Will Friedle, Rider Strong, and Ben Savage

Fishel is best known for playing Topanga Lawrence on the teen sitcom Boy Meets World; pictured far R with co-stars Will Friedle, Rider Strong, and Ben Savage

Despite this, Danielle is remaining optimistic, insisting that she’s ‘going to be fine’.

She said: ‘I’m going to be fine. I’m having surgery to remove it.

‘I’m going to be on some follow-up treatment. I’ve had to make a lot of decisions over the last couple of days.’

Danielle is thankful that the issue has been found ‘so, so, so early’, and the actress has encouraged her fans to get themselves checked out, too.

She said: ‘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.

‘They found it so, so, so early that I’m going to be fine. I hope it will encourage anyone to get in there.’

Fishel has been hosting Pod Meets World with Will Friedle and Rider Strong, her former Boy Meets World co-stars, since 2022; pictured 2022

Fishel has been hosting Pod Meets World with Will Friedle and Rider Strong, her former Boy Meets World co-stars, since 2022; pictured 2022

DCIS: THE MEDICAL FACTS

Ductal carcinoma in situ is the most common form of non-invasive breast cancer.

Ductal means the disease originates inside the milk ducts, while carcinoma refers to any cancer than begins in the skin or other tissues.

Meanwhile, in situ indicates the cancer has not spread, and instead remains in its original place.

DCIS, as it is more commonly known, is not considered a life-threatening form of the disease, but being diagnosed with the condition can increase a woman’s chances of later developing more serious ‘invasive’ forms of the disease.

DCIS generally has no signs or symptoms, though some women may notice a lump in the breast or discharge from their nipple.

The National Cancer Institute says 80 per cent of DCIS cases are found by mammography.

Typical treatment for DCIS is a lumpectomy followed by raditation therapy, though in some cases women will be advised to undergo a mastectomy.

Chemotherapy is generally not needed, because DCIS is a form of cancer that has not spread, so there is no need to target cells that may have traveled to other parts of the body.

Source: breastcancer.org 

Danielle also acknowledged that her treatment could hinder her podcast series.

The actress shared: ‘I have some big decisions ahead of me about what I want to do for treatment. I don’t have all the answers yet.

‘I did want to let our dear listeners know. We’re going to try and have it not affect things, but [there are] possibilities we may have to put things on hold depending on what treatments I go through.’

The Mayo Clinic states that ‘Ductal carcinoma in situ is a very early form of breast cancer. In ductal carcinoma in situ, the cancer cells are confined inside a milk duct in the breast. The cancer cells haven’t spread into the breast tissue. Ductal carcinoma in situ is often shortened to DCIS. It’s sometimes called noninvasive, preinvasive or stage 0 breast cancer.

‘DCIS is usually found during a mammogram done as part of breast cancer screening or to investigate a breast lump. DCIS has a low risk of spreading and becoming life-threatening. However, it does require an evaluation and a consideration of treatment options,’ the clinic states. 

Fishel has been hosting Pod Meets World with Will Friedle and Rider Strong, her former Boy Meets World co-stars, since 2022.

Along with Ben Savage, the trio starred in the hit coming-of-age sitcom following teenager Cory Matthews (Savage), his best friend Shawn Hunter (Strong) and girlfriend Topanga Lawrence (Fishel) from elementary school to college.

Fishel starred in the coming-of-age sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000

Fishel starred in the coming-of-age sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000

The show aired from 1993 to 2000.

Fishel shares two children with her husband Jensen Karp – sons Adler Lawrence Karp, five, and Keaton Joseph Karp, two.

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