"Big Bang Theory" star Kate Micucci said she was diagnosed with lung cancer even though she has "never smoked a cigarette."
The 43-year-old actor and comedian, who played Lucy on the fan-favorite CBS sitcom, shared her diagnosis in a video posted on TikTok after undergoing surgery.
"Hey everybody, this is not a TikTok, it's a 'Sick Tok,'" she said. "I'm in the hospital but it's because I had lung cancer surgery yesterday. They caught it really early."
Micucci said the diagnosis was stunning.
"It's really weird, because I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, so it was a surprise," she said. "But also, I guess, it happens, and so the greatest news is they caught it early, they got it out, I'm all good."
Lung cancer accounts for about one-fifth of all cancer deaths in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society.
It's rare but not unheard of for people who don't smoke to be diagnosed, with causes including exposure to radon, secondhand smoke, air pollution, or other factors.
"It's been a little bit of a trip and [I'll] probably be moving slow for a few weeks, but then I'll be back at it," Micucci said, adding that she can't wait to get back to painting.
"Why am I still talking ... 'cause I'm on drugs!" she added while giving a thumbs up.
Asked by a fan in the comments section if she had any symptoms that made her get examined, Micucci said she had "one thing" in her bloodwork that "came back really high," adding that she had high CRP levels, meaning there was considerable inflammation.
"So I went to a preventative doc who did a few scans," Micucci wrote. "He scanned my heart and that's where the spot in my lung was noticed."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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