Legendary actress Jane Fonda has announced she has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer that focuses on the immune system. She has begun chemotherapy treatment.
The 84-year-old Jane Fonda will undergo chemo for the cancer for six months and she seems ready to embrace the change and challenge.
“Cancer is a teacher and I’m paying attention to the lessons it holds for me…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.”
According to WebMD, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Those at older ages tend to have a higher risk. But Jane Fonda, ever the badass, is confident about the cancer diagnosis. “This is a very treatable cancer. 80% of people survive, so I feel very lucky.”
Jane Fonda has won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, for 1971’s Klute and 1978’s Coming Home. She has been nominated a total of seven times, including once for Best Supporting Actress for On Golden Pond, for which her father, Henry, won his only Academy Award.
The prestigious Fonda family tree does have a history with cancer. In 2019, Jane Fonda’s brother, Peter, died from lung cancer. In 1982, her father, Henry, died of heart disease, although he was additionally suffering from prostate cancer.
Jane Fonda has multiple projects in the pipeline. Her next, Moving On (co-starring her Grace and Frankie pal Lily Tomlin), will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this month. She also has two movies, including Book Club 2 – The Next Chapter, in post-production and slated for 2023. Most recently, she provided a voice in the animated Luck. Grace and Frankie concluded this year after seven seasons.