Farrah Kicks Cancer

Fri., Feb. 2, 2007 12:21 PM PST by Gina Serpe

Once again, Charlie's Angel managed to kick butt—and, as it happens, cancer.

Just four months after first being diagnosed, Farrah Fawcett has been given a clean bill of health by her doctors at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

Fawcett, who turned 60 Friday, called her all-clear diagnosis "an extraordinarily happy day for me and my family."

"I have been on a journey for the past four months and during this time received a tremendously aggressive treatment which doctors initially warned me would be the most difficult fight of my life," the actor said in a statement to E! News. "I was told they needed me to 'bite the bullet' and that would require great courage and unfailing determination.

"In the face of excruciating pain and uncertainty, I never lost hope and it never occurred to me to stop fighting—not ever."

Fawcett was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in September. She did not publicly disclose what kind of cancer she had; early reports pegged it as colon cancer, but last month ex-hubby Ryan O'Neal told People that it was anal cancer.

She subsequently underwent six weeks of radiation therapy and surgery, finishing off her last round of treatment in early December.

"Ms. Fawcett has had a full and complete response to treatment," the hospital's chief of digestive diseases, Dr. Gary Gitnick, said in a statement Friday. "Her prognosis is excellent."

Fellow Angel Kate Jackson also chimed in after hearing the good news.

"I have never seen anyone go through so much with such dignity and determination," she said of her former costar. "I am in awe of her strength and courage."

Fawcett, meanwhile, did her own share of gushing, expressing how "deeply grateful" she was to doctors, family—including O'Neal, who stood by her throughout her ordeal—and friends, who she says sustained her as she "battled this terrible disease, strengthened by my faith in God and the encouragement of so many."

She also expressed hope for those whose battle with the disease is not yet over.

"I hope that my news might offer some level of inspiration to others who unfortunately must continue to fight the disease," she said. "So to those who are still struggling toward their own victory, stay determined, 'fight the fight' and I will keep you and your families in my thoughts and prayers."