American actress, Jane Fonda announced on Friday that she has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
According to Mayo Clinic, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in your lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s germ-fighting immune system.
In non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, white blood cells called lymphocytes grow abnormally and can form growths (tumors) throughout the body.
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a general category of lymphoma.
“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 “Grace and Frankie” star, 84, wrote in an Instagram post.
Fonda said her chemotherapy would last six months and she is handling it “quite well” thus far, adding, “… Believe me, I will not let any of this interfere with my climate activism.”
“Cancer is a teacher and I’m paying attention to the lessons it holds for me,” the actress 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.”
Fonda called herself “lucky” for having health insurance and access to the top doctors and treatments, two things she said “far too many people” don’t have.
“I realize, and it’s painful, that I am privileged in this,” she wrote.
According to the National Cancer Institute, non-Hodgkin lymphoma begins in the cells of the lymph system, which is part of the immune system and helps the body fight infection and disease.
It can occur almost anywhere as lymph tissue is found all throughout the body.
Fonda previously underwent a lumpectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010.
In 2018, she revealed she had a cancerous growth removed from her lip.
Part of a legendary Hollywood family, Fonda gained fame for both her acting and her activism starting in the late 1960s.
She won Oscars for her performances in 1971′s “Klute” and 1978′s “Coming Home.”
She has also starred in the films “Barbarella” and “9 to 5,” and in the Netflix series “Grace and Frankie.”