The actress and comedian, 43, who played Lucy on the CBS show, shared a video on TikTok from hospital explaining that she underwent surgery after being diagnosed.
“Heyeverybody, this is not a TikTok, it’s a ‘Sick Tok,’” she joked, adding,“I’m in the hospital but it’s because I had lung cancer surgery yesterday. They caught it really early.”
Micucci said it was “weird” because “I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life”.
“So you know, it was a surprise,” she went on. “But also I guess, also, it happens and so the greatest news is they caught it early, they got it out, I’m all good.”
Lung cancer is the deadliest form of the disease in the US, causing about 1 in 5 of all cancer deaths. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer - but while it’s rare, it is possible for non-smokers to be diagnosed.
The American Cancer Society says lung cancer in those who have never smoked can be caused by exposure to secondhand smoke, air pollution, radon, or a number of other factors.
If diagnosed at an early age, 70 per cent of US lung cancer patients live at least five years - though once the cancer spreads to other areas of the body, a patient’s chance of survival can drop to 5 per cent.
Micucci said of her diagnosis, “It’s been a little bit of a trip.
“[I’ll] probably be moving slow for a few weeks but then I’ll be back at it,”
She added that she can’t wait to be able to paint again - Micucci is also an artist - and continued, “Why am I still talking ... ‘cause I’m on drugs!” with a thumbs up.
Kate Micucci appeared on The Big Bang Theory as a love interest for Raj Koothrappali. Photo / Getty Images
She also shared a video of herself walking through hospital and wheeling her IV drip around.
One fan commented asking if Micucci had noticed any symptoms that led her to get diagnosed.
She responded, “I had one thing in my bloodwork that came back really high,” explaining that she had high levels of CRP, indicating inflammation.
“So I went to a preventative doc who did a few scans. He scanned my heart and that’s where the spot in my lung was noticed.”
Micucci appeared on the sixth and seventh seasons of The Big Bang Theory as Raj’s love interest. She is also half of musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates and has appeared on a number of TV shows including Scrubs.
