Danielle Fishel says she is “thrilled to be alive” after breast cancer was found during a routine mammogram and she underwent two surgeries. In an October 2024 interview with PEOPLE, the actor described gratitude for the early detection alongside the emotional and physical work of adjusting to changes after surgery.
What Danielle Fishel said after surgery
“I’m not thrilled about it, but I am thrilled to be alive and I’m thrilled that my cancer was found early,” Fishel told PEOPLE on October 16, 2024. She was speaking about her recovery after breast cancer surgery, not suggesting that the experience was easy. She said she was still learning to look at herself and making room to mourn some of the changes she had experienced.
Fishel, an actor and co-host of the Pod Meets World podcast, said that having lymph nodes removed made recovery especially difficult. Her account describes her own experience; surgery, recovery and additional treatment vary by diagnosis and individual circumstances.
How her diagnosis was found
Fishel said a routine mammogram showed an abnormality even though she felt healthy. She told PEOPLE she learned she had cancer on July 22, 2024. On August 19, she announced on Pod Meets World that she had high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with microinvasion, which she described as technically stage 0. Good Morning America reported her announcement.
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DCIS refers to cancer cells in the lining of the milk ducts that have not grown through the duct walls into nearby breast tissue. The American Cancer Society says it is considered non-invasive or pre-invasive, though it can sometimes become invasive if untreated. Fishel’s initial description included microinvasion, so “stage 0” should be understood as her own wording about her diagnosis, not a complete description of every clinical detail. The American Cancer Society’s DCIS overview explains the condition in general terms.
What happened after her lumpectomies
Fishel said she had a lumpectomy in August 2024 and a second operation in September to revise the margins. In the October interview, she reported that pathology after the second surgery found no cancer and that she had since had a clear mammogram. “That pathology came back with no cancer found. I’ve since had a clear mammogram,” she said.
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Those were the results she reported at that time. They do not, by themselves, establish that treatment was finished: she was still considering radiation and anticipated hormone therapy in the October interview.
Her treatment continued after surgery
In January 2025, Fishel said she had completed 20 radiation sessions: 15 whole-breast sessions and five targeted sessions, according to Healthline’s report. A September 2025 interview with Us Weekly quoted her saying, “I’m incredibly healthy,” as she discussed joining Dancing with the Stars. Us Weekly reported that update.
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In a March 26, 2026 interview, Fishel said she expected to take medication daily for five years and described having started therapy. Woman’s World also reported her summary of two lumpectomies and 20 days of radiation. These are dated statements from her interviews, not an independently verified account of her current clinical status. “Even with a very early stage diagnosis, I needed two lumpectomies and 20 days of radiation and medication I will take every day for five years,” she said. Woman’s World published the interview.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why she wanted to speak publicly
Fishel used her experience to encourage people to keep up with health appointments and to check in on friends and family. “No one wants to feel annoying. No one wants to feel like a nag,” she told PEOPLE, before urging people to show others that their wellness matters and ask whether they have made their appointments.
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Her message is personal encouragement, not a universal screening schedule. The American Cancer Society says screening decisions should account for benefits, limitations and potential harms in conversation with a health care provider. Its breast cancer screening guidance, revised May 27, 2026, says women ages 40–44 should have the choice to begin annual mammograms; women 45–54 should have them annually; and women 55 and older may switch to every two years or continue annually. People with a family history, genetic tendency or other risk factors may need a different plan, including MRI with mammography.
What Fishel’s story can—and cannot—tell readers
Fishel’s account shows why an individual’s path should not be reduced to a single phrase such as “early stage.” She reported a routine-screening discovery, two surgeries, a clear pathology result after the second operation, radiation and medication. Her treatment does not predict what another person with DCIS or breast cancer will need. The National Cancer Institute notes that high-grade DCIS tends to grow more quickly than low- or intermediate-grade DCIS and is more likely to recur or become invasive, but that general information cannot determine an individual prognosis. See the NCI’s breast cancer treatment information for broader context.
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Fishel also acknowledged that gratitude and grief can coexist. “So I have a lot of blessings, but I’m also leaving room and space for myself to mourn some of the things that I’ve lost,” she told PEOPLE.
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