The Office actress Lucy Davis has revealed that she has been living with stage 4 breast cancer for 18 months and intends to continue acting despite describing the disease as incurable.
In an Instagram post shared Aug. 11, the 53-year-old said the cancer had metastasized to her bones, specifically her spine, right hip and ribs. Davis also wrote that it was “too late for chemo,” describing her own treatment circumstances.
The accompanying video showed her ringing a hospital bell and reciting a rhyme marking the completion of a course of treatment. Davis also disclosed that the first sign she noticed was not what she considered a typical lump but a tiny hard spot that she nearly decided not to have examined.
Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly in the American version of The Office, was among those who responded publicly. Fischer backed Davis’ determination to keep working while living with cancer, an experience Fischer has discussed since completing treatment for her own breast cancer.
Davis Says the First Sign Was a Tiny Hard Spot
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Davis said the area she initially felt was not a conventional lump. Instead, she described it as a “really tiny” hard spot and said she almost did not bother getting it checked. “I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything, get everything checked out,” she wrote.
Davis said she was diagnosed a year and a half ago with stage 4 breast cancer that had spread to her bones. She specifically identified her spine, right hip and ribs as areas affected by the disease.
Davis said pain has made prolonged standing and walking difficult and that she sometimes uses a wheelchair. Humor, she explained, has become particularly important to her during the illness. She has asked friends and family to continue making fun of her and, above all, not to treat her only as a sick person. “There’s nothing that will make you feel more unwell than being treated as if you’re unwell,” Davis wrote.
Jenna Fischer Backs Her Decision to Keep Working
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Page Six reported that Fischer responded directly beneath Davis’ announcement. “Beautiful post. Love you lots. And yes to working with cancer!” Fischer wrote. “Let’s spread that message far and wide! How working is such a comfort!”
Ricky Gervais responded with a heart emoji, while Shaun of the Dead director Edgar Wright and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina actress Kiernan Shipka also left messages of support.
Fischer revealed in an October 2024 Instagram post that she had been diagnosed with stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer in December 2023. She underwent a lumpectomy, 12 rounds of chemotherapy and three weeks of radiation before announcing that she was cancer-free. Fischer said she would continue receiving treatment and monitoring to help keep it that way.
Fischer’s Pam was the American counterpart to Dawn Tinsley, the receptionist Davis played in the original British version of The Office. Davis’ father, comedian Jasper Carrott, told ITV News that the family had supported her since her diagnosis.
“This is a very difficult time for the whole family, and we have been supporting her in every way possible since her diagnosis,” he said, adding that the way his daughter had handled her health struggles was “a lesson to us all.”
Lucy Davis Plans to Continue Acting and Her Animal Rights Work
Davis said she is trying to spend whatever time lies ahead in as enjoyable a way as possible and has found lessons even in the experience of living with cancer. “I’m not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it,” she wrote.
She also made clear that her diagnosis does not mean she intends to abandon the things that matter most to her. Davis said she will continue her animal rights advocacy and wants people to understand that she remains capable of working.
“I’m still going to keep up all my work for animal rights. It’s so important to me,” Davis wrote. “And I still would like to keep working. I’m perfectly able to do so, and acting is one of the biggest joys in my life.”