“This is a very treatable cancer. 80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky,” she wrote.
She said she is doing well with chemotherapy so far and plans to continue her responsibilities.
“I’ve been doing chemotherapy for 6 months and I’m handling the treatments pretty well and, believe me, I’m not going to let any of that affect my climate activism,” Fonda said.
He also used the announcement as an opportunity to advocate for more equitable and accessible healthcare in the US
“I realize, and it’s painful, that I’m privileged in this,” Fonda said. “Almost every family in America has had to deal with cancer at some point and too many don’t have access to the quality health care I get and that’s not right.”
This isn’t Fonda’s first battle with cancer — she was previously diagnosed with breast cancer, but shared that she was cancer-free in 2010.
Fonda, who is a vocal climate activist, has advocated a preventative approach to cancer, writing that the US should work to eliminate chemicals and pollution that can cause the disease.
“We also need to talk a lot more about not just cures but also causes so we can eliminate them,” he said. “For example, people need to know that fossil fuels cause cancer. So do pesticides, many of which are based on fossil fuels, like mine.”
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the body’s lymphatic system, which helps fight germs and bacteria, according to the American Cancer Society. There are several different subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but in general, it occurs when white blood cells grow abnormally and can form tumors.
Fonda said she is grateful for the people around her and her growing community during this new battle.
“Cancer is a teacher and I heed the lessons it teaches me,” she wrote. “One thing it has already shown me is the importance of community. To grow and deepen one’s community so that we are not alone.”
Fonda showed she wouldn’t let her diagnosis dampen her activism, writing, “We live in the most important time in human history.”
“The midterms are coming up and they’re beyond consistent, so you can count on me to be right there with you as we grow our army of climate champions,” he wrote.
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