The Office star Lucy Davis gives humorous update after sharing she has incurable breast cancer

Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.

Actress Lucy Davis has shared a humorous update with fans after revealing she has incurable breast cancer.

On Tuesday (11 August), the 53-year-old, best known for playing Dawn Tinsley in the hit BBC sitcom The Office, revealed she was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer a year and a half ago.

"A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, which has metastasised to my bones. Specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo," she shared on Instagram.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday (13 August), Davis shared a clip of her learning how to skateboard with her 632k followers along with the caption: "Ok, so the last two days have been utterly overwhelming, in that I had ZERO idea my cancer post would have the attention it did.

"Truly, I am in shock."

The Shaun of the Dead star continued: "That said…. THANK YOU to everyone for the tremendous amount of kindness and support you have sent me.

"Good grief, it was emotional! I am trying to go thru all the comments on my post - and I’ll get there! Just give me a bit of time :)."

Davis then revealed that a few people 'misread' her cancer announcement post and had assumed she had passed away, prompting the actress to confirm she was very much so 'still alive'.

"Also, to the couple of people who slightly misread the news and commented R.I.P., you’ll be delighted to know I am still alive - hurrah!" she joked.

She rounded off: "So, to lighten things up, here’s a video of my first (and last) skateboarding lesson, from @malachibarton. It was a few years ago but still something that cracks me up when I realised I have no sporting ability whatsoever."

Fans have since rushed to the comments to share their support with one beaming: "Lucy I hope your heart is absorbing all the LOVE coming your way beautiful girl."

A second penned: "You give us so much laughter. I hope you know how much you are loved!"

"You are so loved the whole world over," gushed another, and a final fan echoed: "You are just the best! Sending so much love your way!"

In her original post, Davis recalled the first symptom she noticed in her breast, explaining that she almost overlooked it.

"The initial lump that I felt, wasn’t a ‘lump’ as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. I almost didn’t bother getting it checked. So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything - get everything checked out:)," she penned.

Davis added: "As of now, I’m trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can. I always like to find the teachable moments in anything negative that happens. And cancer has not disappointed in that regard; there’s a lot I have learned from it, and I’m grateful for that."

Symptoms of breast cancer

Anyone can get breast cancer, so it’s important to check your breast or chest regularly - the NHS recommends about once a month.

According to the health service, symptoms of breast cancer can include:

• A lump or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit
• A change to the skin, such as dimpling or redness
• A change in the shape or size of one or both breasts
• A change in the shape or look of your nipple
• Pain in the breast or armpit that doesn’t go away
• Discharge from the nipple

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.