Veteran American actress Jane Fonda has cancer. The 84-year-old activist also announced it through her social networks to the surprise of half the world. "I have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and have started chemo treatments," she has informed her followers on her Instagram account.
In the text, she also emphasizes that she remains positive and optimistic because her tumor is a "very treatable" disease. "80 percent of people survive, so I feel very lucky," she explained.
Environmentalist and supporter of the Democratic Party, Fonda took the opportunity to lament that many others in her situation do not have the same opportunities. "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 services I'm receiving, and that's not right."
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in the lymphatic system, a part of the body's immune defenses, and can turn tumors into widespread tumors. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, abdominal pain or swelling, chest pain, coughing or trouble breathing, as well as persistent fatigue and fever. "In most cases, doctors don't know what causes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma," the clinic notes on its website.
Fonda vowed that her treatment will not prevent her from continuing to campaign for the environment, and she urged action against fossil fuels, which she links to cancer. "We are living in the most important moment for humanity, because what we do or don't do now will determine the type of future to come." "I will not let cancer stop me from doing as much as I can, using every tool" available.
She also referred to the midterm elections in the United States, in which the ruling Democratic Party could lose control of both houses of Congress. "You can count on me to be there for you as our army of environmental advocates grows," she wrote to US President Joe Biden.
Fonda first appeared on screen in 1960, winning Best Actress Academy Awards for "Klute" (1971) and "Coming Home" (1978). She was an activist against the war in Vietnam, which was worth the rejection of Hollywood. She also participates in the hit series "Grace and Frankie", available on Netflix.
The actress comes from a family packed with celebrities: her father Henry was a film legend who won best actor for "On Golden Pond" (1981), while her brother Peter was a major figure of the counterculture in the 1960s.
