Boy Meets World legend Danielle Fishel — who played the quirky and gorgeous Topanga Lawrence on the teen sitcom — has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Fishel, 43, shared the news on Aug. 19 during an episode of the Boy Meets World rewatch podcast, Pod Meets World, which she co-hosts with former co-stars Rider Strong and Will Friedle, who played Shawn Hunter and Eric Matthews on the show, respectively.
“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,” Fishel began.
“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 said.
“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.”
Fishel said she decided to share her diagnosis with Pod Meets World listeners to encourage them to get mammograms when their appointments are due or book one if they have not had one before.
“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.”
“If you have to find out you have cancer, find out at stage zero if possible,” Fishel added.
Fishel also explained her thoughts on a possible treatment process to her listeners.
“I have some big decisions ahead of me about what I want to do for treatment. I don’t have all the answers yet,” Fishel explained.
“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.”
Strong and Friedle chimed in after Fishel’s announcement, showing their support for their friend and co-worker.
“It’s mindboggling. Right now, my wife and I know four people — four friends — who are dealing with breast cancer,” said Strong, encouraging fans to “get checked.”
“For men, too, prostate exams and colonoscopies … don’t put them off,” Friedle added.
Addressing Fishel, Friedle said, “We’re so glad you didn’t [put it off] because you are going to be fine. You might have some sucky days, but we’re here for you.”
Fishel is not the only celeb recently who has spoken publicly about the importance of breast health.
In Spring 2024, actress Olivia Munn shared that she’d been diagnosed with “an aggressive and fast-moving” form of breast cancer in 2023. Her diagnosis came just two months after undergoing genetic testing that cleared her for 90 different potentially cancer-causing mutations, including both BRCA genes, which she noted are “the most well-known breast cancer gene(s).”
Munn explained that she wouldn’t have found the cancerous cells until her next mammogram, which wasn’t scheduled for another year, crediting her physician, Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, with deciding to calculate her breast cancer risk score.
This assessment showed she was at elevated risk for breast cancer, so her doctor ordered additional testing — an MRI, an ultrasound, and a biopsy — with the biopsy confirming she had Luminal B breast cancer in both breasts.
In the months since, the 43-year-old has undergone four surgeries, including a double mastectomy, and wanted to share her story in the hopes of making others aware of their potential risk factors.
“I’m lucky,” she wrote. “We caught it with enough time that I had options. I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day.”
If your mammogram or annual checkup are a ways away, patients 35 and up can use the Gail Model, while any adult can use the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator, which asks more detailed questions about your family’s health history.
Don’t put off your mammogram. Brush up on your breast awareness. Know your body. Look for changes, and if something is looking or feeling off — get it checked! It’s never the wrong time to take charge of your health!
