Danielle Fishel, who played beloved character Topanga on Boy Meets World, has revealed she's been diagnosed with breast cancer. Fishel made the revelation on Pod Meets World, a Boy Meets World rewatch podcast, which she co-hosts with her former co-stars, Rider Strong and Will Friedle.
Sharing the news on Monday's episode, Fishel explained (via Us Weekly), "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." She continued, "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."
Fishel also shared that she's undergoing prompt treatment, and that the prognosis is positive. "I’m going to be fine," she said. "I’m having surgery to remove it." As well as undergoing surgery, Fishel discussed the "follow-up treatment" she would would undertake, saying, "I’ve had to make a lot of decisions over the last couple of days."
Importantly, Fishel decided to share her diagnosis with fans in the hopes that other people will attend their regular check-ups. "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."
Fishel is married to Jensen Karp, with whom she shares two children: Adler, who was born on June 24, 2019, and Keaton, born on August 29, 2021, via People. In 2014, Fishel reprised her role as Topanga on the Disney Channel's Boy Meets World reboot, Girl Meets World, which also starred Sabrina Carpenter.
