Jenna Fischer's clever use of “Wigats” helped her keep her breast cancer diagnosis a secret

Former “The Office” actress Jenna Fischer has opened up about her breast cancer journey just a week after publicly announcing her diagnosis.

On Oct. 21, Fischer sat down for a one-on-one interview with TODAY's Hoda Kotb, hoping to share her story and provide comfort to women in the midst of a breast cancer diagnosis.

October marks National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign aimed at raising awareness of the urgent need for early detection, regular screenings and effective treatments to combat breast cancer. According to charities.org, this month-long effort also focuses on raising funds for research and providing much-needed support to those affected by this aggressive disease.

According to TODAY, Fischer was scrolling through Instagram last October amid increased breast cancer awareness when she decided it was time to schedule her own mammogram. After her appointment, she posted to her Instagram followers: “Reminder to schedule your mammogram. I finished mine today…”

In the interview, Fischer explained that her routine mammogram resulted in two frustrating follow-up appointments that didn't initially concern her. But when she received her biopsy, the mood changed.

Fischer was hiking alone when she received the test results. “During the hike, I checked the portal and saw words like 'invasive,' 'ductal,' 'carcinoma,' and 'malignant,'” she recalls. “And I thought, 'Those sound like cancer words,'” TODAY said.

Her steep journey had begun, but the hardest part was breaking the news to her children.

Fox News reported: “They are 10 and 13 and would be living in the house while I was going through this,” she told the TODAY show. “You'll see.” And the most important thing I wanted to tell them was that the way I appeared sick during this process were side effects of treatments. It wasn't cancer that made me sick.'”

Diagnosis and treatment

On October 8, Fischer took to Instagram during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month to announce her diagnosis of stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer, which was confirmed in December 2023. Fischer made the announcement after undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, according to the Deseret News.

“I never thought I would make an announcement like this, but here we are,” Fischer posted on her social media. “Last December I was diagnosed with stage 1 triple positive breast cancer. After completing surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, I am now cancer free.”

“To accompany this news I wanted a photo of me in my spotty pixie looking happy and healthy. A big thank you to Angela Kinsey's husband Josh Snyder for taking this photo. This is just one example of the care they have shown me on this journey,” she said.

According to the Deseret News, “Dr. Cesar Santa-Maria, a medical oncologist and associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins, told The New York Times that triple-positive breast cancer is an “aggressive subtype of breast cancer,” but “because of the treatments we have now, it is it 'most curable.'”

The support of a best friend

Angela Kinsey, who portrayed Angela Martin on “The Office,” is not only Fischer's real-life best friend, but also her podcast co-host. While supporting Fischer's cancer diagnosis, Kinsey supported her every step of the way, telling her, “Whatever you need, tell me, I'm here,” according to TODAY.

In response, Fischer expressed that she wanted to continue working on her podcast without anyone knowing about her recent diagnosis because she wanted a sense of normality and didn't want to be labeled as a cancer patient.

Fischer expressed fear at the thought of losing her hair, but she never had a “big shaving her head moment.” To maintain regularity at work, she adapted by wearing wig hats—what she and Kinsey called “wigats.”

Kinsey showed her support by wearing hats to work every day, so Fischer wouldn't be the only one wearing them to meetings, according to TODAY.

Find strength

“Fischer underwent chemotherapy and said the best advice she received was, 'Live your life through this process.'

“‘I did that. And some days I just walked circles in my own living room,” she said. “Some days I walked around the block. But I got up every day and did these things. And I think it made a really big difference,” said CNN.