You’re probably familiar with Shannen Doherty’s appearance. As a child actress, she became well-known and maintained her fame far into adulthood.
Her television credits include 90210, The Heathers, Charmed, and many others. Sadly, despite Doherty’s success in Hollywood, she then shifted her attention to more difficult tasks, like battling cancer for seven years.
According to Self, Doherty discovered a lump in her own breast in 2015, which led to her initial breast cancer diagnosis. Hormone therapy marked the beginning of Doherty’s battle with breast cancer.
But finally, she required radiation, chemotherapy, and a single mastectomy. In 2017, two years after receiving her initial diagnosis, Doherty declared she had reached remission, according to Self.
Sadly, the actress revealed that the illness has come back in 2020. According to Elle, she was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer that has spread to other regions of her body, including her spine.
Doherty said that she discovered the disease had returned after feeling a severe ache in her back. “I worked out, and now I’m a little sore, wasn’t the case anymore. It seemed as though “God, this aches!”
At the time, she told Good Morning America, “I don’t think that I’ve processed it. It’s difficult to swallow in many ways. There are definitely days when I wonder, “Why me?” Then I think, “Well, why not me? ” Who else deserves this besides me? All of us do not.
Doherty began hormone therapy along with another stabilizing medication, as People reported in 2020. Her cancer is fatal and is likely to spread to her brain, lungs, and liver, which is regrettable.
Doherty spoke to Health Magazine in 2019 about the time she received her initial diagnosis. I underwent mammography and a biopsy after discovering a lump.
“I was driving with my mother when I received the results, and I simply knew. It began to make more sense the longer I sat. I then began to cry. I told my hubby over the phone. I simply put together a team from there.
Doherty spoke with Elle in September 2020 after learning that cancer had returned. She acknowledged that she was getting ready for the end, but there was something else she wanted to finish.
I haven’t sat down to compose any letters. I have to take care of that. I have things to speak to my mother. I want my husband to understand how much he means to me, she said.
“However, it always feels so final when it’s my turn to do it. You seem to be saying goodbye, yet I’m still here. I believe I am a very, very healthy person. When you believe you have 10 or 15 more years left to live, it can be difficult to settle your affairs.
Even though the prognosis is not the best, Doherty intends to make the most of her remaining time. I make an effort to appreciate every little thing that other people overlook or take for granted.
“For me, the little things are amplified. We all possess a limitless well that needs to be continually dug for the willpower to face challenges and the ability to appreciate all that is beautiful, Doherty said to Elle.
Doherty decided to utilize her social media over the past few years to talk about her struggle as well. The actor told Health that her only objective was to be “as honest as possible.”
“And at that point, it became crucial to me that I was there for others who were experiencing it. Since I’m not a doctor, I would never recommend anything medical, but I would always advise people to “advocate for themselves.”
Additionally, I now encounter a little fewer trolls and bigots on social media, which is positive. I believe that because cancer destroyed my defenses, people were able to see me from all angles.
Doherty told ET that, despite how at ease she appeared to be with whatever might occur, the “unknown is always the scariest part. Will the chemo be effective? Will the radiation be effective? Do you know if I’ll have to endure this again or if I’ll have secondary cancer?
The speaker said, “Everything else is controllable. The fear about your future and how it will affect the people you care about is manageable, just as living without a breast is manageable.
She acknowledges that while cancer has put her through a lot, she has also profited from her struggle. Doherty stated during an interview with Good Morning America that she believes having cancer “made me a better performer.”
“I also believe it improved me as a person. It dismantles all of your defenses, roadblocks, and challenges that life has thrown your way. You’re protecting yourself, so yes, it all collapses,” she added.
She also declared that she will never give up in the midst of the scariest battle anyone can face on Good Morning America. “Facing cancer requires a lot of inner strength, and in that, you discover all these stuff you had hidden away. And what you discover is lovely: You rediscover your capacity for vulnerability and your capacity for trust. You discover forgiveness.
I’ll keep battling to survive, I swear.
While October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Doherty has provided numerous updates on her ongoing battle with the disease. She said in August that she went on a 21-day reset diet and had a cheat meal.
The last time she made a clear update was in February 2022, when she posted a picture from a trip to the doctor. “Doctors visit early in the morning for scans. blurry vision. The fresh bandage wraps made me grin despite my crooked hair! #cancerslayer.”