Farrah Fawcett's Fight Vs. Cancer

(CBS)  Farrah Fawcett has been a cultural icon for 30 years. One of the original "Charlie's Angels," she is now in the battle of her life after being diagnosed with cancer Sept. 29.

In the Oct. 23 edition of People Magazine, due to hit stands on Friday, family and friends paint a portrait of how Fawcett is battling her illness.

Fawcett made her last public appearance at the Emmys when she reunited with her fellow "Charlie's Angles" Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson.

"The reunion was this great boost for Farrah, but in the days after that she felt fatigued, couldn't figure out what was going on, feeling some pain. So she went for a physical in mid-September," The Early Show entertainment contributor and People magazine assistant managing editor Jess Cagle told The Early Show co-anchor . "After two weeks of tests on Sept. 29, she got the diagnosis that she had cancer."

Cagle said Fawcett's type of anal cancer is rare, but if it is caught in the first stage there is an 80 percent curability rate. It is still not know what stage Fawcett is in, but Cagle said she is undergoing chemotherapy, which she began on Monday and will undergo five weeks of the treatment. Fawcett lost her sister to cancer and is a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.

"She sobbed a lot when it first happened," Cagle said. "She called friends crying, called Ryan O'Neal crying but immediately she became defiant and issued a statement saying, 'I am going to bite the bullet and fight the fight.' Now she's trying to keep her life as normal as possible. We spoke to Kate Jackson who said any notion that she's wasting away in bed is seriously wrong."

Fawcett and her fellow cast-mates have been friends for many years and both Jackson and Smith are cancer survivors, Cagle said.

"A few days ago, Jackson took Farrah for a walk. They laughed a lot. They are there for her right now," Cagle said.

Fawcett also turned to O'Neal, Cagle said. Although the couple split in 1997, they have a son together and they turn to each other in times of crisis, he said.

"He told People magazine he's amazed how strong she is and he said 'I am falling in love with her all over again,' " Cagle said.

[huskerarmy]

She's been a special source of pride and inspiration for my friends and I through the years. She graduated from my High School a few years ahead of me and showed all of us that we could achieve our dreams... W. B. Ray, Corpus Christi... Fighting Texans!

[lindy1945]

god bless miss fawcett

[boston1954]

I am very sorry to hear it. She is a very good actress. Let's pray for remission.