During Monday’s episode of the Boy Meets World rewatch podcast, “ Pod Meets World ,” which Danielle Fishel cohosts with former costars Rider Strong and Will Friedle, the actress shared a shocking life update.
Fishel who played Topanga Lawrence on Boy Meets World and the spinoff Girl Meets World, shared that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The 43-year-old opened the show by saying, “I would like to share something with our listeners, something that Rider and Will were two of the first people I told the news to.
“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.”
She went on to reassure listeners, “I’m going to be fine. I’m having surgery to remove it,” Fishel added. “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.”
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DCIS stands for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, which is a non-invasive type of breast cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, it originates in the milk ducts of the breast and is characterized by the presence of abnormal cells that have not spread beyond the ducts into surrounding breast tissue. It is often detected through mammograms and is considered an early form of breast cancer.
While it is not life-threatening at this stage, it can increase the risk of developing invasive breast cancer in the future, which is why treatment options are typically recommended. That may include surgery, radiation therapy, or hormone therapy, depending on individual circumstances.
Fishel explained that she wanted to share this to encourage people to get their mammograms.
“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 explained. “They found it so, so, so early that I’m going to be fine. I hope it will encourage anyone to get in there.” She added, “If you have to find out you have cancer, find out at stage zero if possible,” Fishel added.