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Kate Micucci, well-known for her roles on “The Big Bang Theory” and “Raising Hope,” among other shows and movies, says she has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
In a video posted to TikTok over the weekend, the 43-year-old New Jersey native revealed her diagnosis. Micucci, wearing a hospital gown, said she underwent lung cancer surgery on Friday.
“They caught it really early,” Micucci said in the video, which she referred to as a ‘SickTok.’ “It’s pretty weird because I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life. So, you know, it was a surprise, but also, I guess it happens.”
Not counting skin cancer, lung cancer is the second most common cancer among both men and women, according to the American Cancer Society.
“And so, the greatest news is they caught it early, they got it out, I’m all good,” Micucci continued. “But 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, who also shares her artwork and drawings on TikTok, added that she hoped to start painting again “soon.”
“Why am I still talking?” she joked near the end of the TikTok. “Because I’m on drugs.”
Aside from her work on “The Big Bang Theory,” Micucci has appeared in episodes of “How I Met Your Mother,” “Weeds,” “Psych” and the 2017 “Will & Grace” revival, with recurring roles on such shows as “Scrubs,” “Raising Hope,” and “’Til Death,” among others. She also starred in her own IFC series “Garfunkel and Oates” alongside fellow actress and comedian Riki Lindholme, based on Micucci and Lindholme’s comedic musical duo of the same name.
Micucci has voiced the character of Velma Dinkley in over a dozen animated “Scooby Doo!” releases since 2016, as well.
Micucci hasn’t yet given an update on her condition, but it is rare for someone her age to be diagnosed with lung cancer.
As the ACS explains, lung cancer typically occurs in those ages 65 and older, though “a very small number of people diagnosed are younger than 45.”
According to data from the National Cancer Institute, 12% of the new cases of cancer diagnosed in 2023 were lung and bronchus cancers. The same cancers caused 21% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. this year.
The U.S. has seen a decline in new lung cancer cases, which the ACS attributes to the number of people who have quit or never started smoking. Deaths caused by lung cancer are declining as well, due in part to the decline in smoking and improved early detection and treatment.
Still, the American Lung Association says someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with lung cancer about every two minutes.
Beating lung cancer depends on multiple factors, like the type of cancer and how soon it is caught. According to the ALA, the overall survival rate for men and women has increased by 22% to 26.6%.
Patients can be screened for lung cancer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain. Yearly screenings are recommended for people between the ages of 50 and 80 who have a smoking history of 20 packs a year or more and smoke now or quit within the last 15 years.
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