Danielle Fishel Encourages Women to Get Mammograms After Revealing She Has Breast Cancer: Her Words

Carissa Mosness

August 20, 2024 at 8:28 PM·3 min read

Actress Danielle Fishel — best known for her work as Topanga Lawrence in Boy Meets World — recently revealed on her podcast Pod Meets World that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer at age 43. Fishel hosts the podcast with her former Boy Meets World co-stars Rider Strong and Will Friedle.

“So I would like to share something with our listeners … I was recently diagnosed with DCIS, which is a form of breast cancer,” Fishel shared in the raw moment of her August 19 episode. “It is very, very, very early. It's technically stage zero. I was diagnosed with high-grade DCIS with micro invasion. And I'm going to be fine. I'm having surgery to remove it.”

Friedle quickly voiced his support for Fishel, saying in response, “We love you, and you know that we’ve got you. Whatever you need, we’re here. You are going to be fine, and you might have some sucky days coming up, but we’re here for you.”

To learn more about what the actress has to say about her cancer journey, how she was able to catch it so early and her message about mammograms, keep scrolling.

Danielle Fishel with her 'Pod Meet's World' co-hosts Rider Strong and Will Friedle (2023)
Tim Nwachukwu / Staff/Getty

Danielle Fishel got candid about her breast cancer journey

FIshel was diagnosed with dcis which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ. It is a type of breast cancer that lives within the milk ducts. While Fishel might be open about her journey with DCIS, that wasn't always with the plan.

“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. 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 as she shared the news. “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.”

Danielle Fishel on the importance of mammograms

During the podcast, Fishel opened up her breast cancer diagnosis, revealing that she only found out after she went to her doctor to get her yearly checkup.

“The only reason I caught this cancer when it is still stage 0 is because the day I got my text message that my yearly mammogram had come up, I made the appointment,” the Boy Meets World star said. “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 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 continued, “I want to share this because I hope that it will encourage anyone to get in there. If it’s time for your appointment, if you’ve never had an appointment before, get in there. If you have to find out that you have cancer, find out when it’s at stage 0, if possible.”

Fishel’s husband, Jensen Karp, also encouraged women to get their annual checkups, writing in an Instagram Story, “I’m so proud of @daniellefishel for using her platform to raise awareness. We can’t miss appointments and we need to get checked.! She is the strongest person I’ve ever met. She’s got this.”

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