'80% of people survive': Jane Fonda, 84, says she's being treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: Jane Fonda announced on Friday, September 2, that she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy treatments. “So, my dear friends, I have something personal I want to share. I’ve been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and have started chemo treatments,” the actress, 84, wrote on Instagram. “This is a very treatable cancer. 80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky.”
Fonda, a two-time Oscar winner, also called herself “lucky” to “have health insurance and access to the best doctors and treatment,” acknowledging that she is “privileged” as a celebrity. “Almost every family in America has had to deal with cancer at one time or another and far too many don’t have access to the quality health care I am receiving and this is not right,” she continued. The 'Georgia Rule' star shared she has been doing chemo for six months and is “handling the treatments quite well,” noting that she will not let the disease interfere with her climate-change activism.
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She has previously been diagnosed with both breast and skin cancer, and blamed the latter on her past love of sunbathing. Fonda says she attended the 2016 Golden Globes in a ruffled white dress designed to disguise recent surgery she'd had to remove her breast. “The midterms are looming, and they are beyond consequential so you can count on me to be right there together with you as we grow our army of climate champions,” she added.
In her Instagram post, Fonda reassured fans and loved ones and said she would need to acclimate to a new reality as she fights the cancer. "Cancer is a teacher and I'm paying attention to the lessons it holds for me," she wrote. "One thing it's shown me already is the importance of community. Of growing and deepening one's community so that we are not alone. And the cancer, along with my age - almost 85 - definitely teaches the importance of adapting to new realities."
Fans and celebrities flooded the comments section with words of support and encouragement after the beloved star revealed her diagnosis. Chelsea Handler wrote, “Love you, Jane. Thinking of you, always.”
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the body's immune system, with symptoms including swollen lymph nodes, abdominal and chest pain, fevers, fatigue and weight loss. The cancer can occur at any age, but the risks increases with age as it's most common in people 60 and over, according to the Mayo Clinic. According to cancer.net, the overall survival rate for people in the US with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is 73 percent. Fonda told British Vogue in 2019 that she’s had “a lot of cancer” due to a series of close calls with the disease. The self-proclaimed “sun-worshiper” revealed at the time that she would “frequently go to my skin doctor and have things cut off me by a surgeon.”
According to Daily Mail, Fonda had a cancerous growth removed from her lip in early 2018 and was seen sporting a bandage while promoting Season 4 of Netflix’s 'Grace and Frankie'. The 'Monster-in-Law' star also had a cancer scare in 2010 when she had a small tumor removed from her breast during a routine checkup.