The actress Shannen Doherty has been open about her cancer diagnosis and treatment, but she is now sharing some incredibly distressing information.
In sharing the news, she wrote on Instagram, “January 5th, my ct scan showed Mets in my brain.” Her brain cancer is now being treated with radiation therapy.
She had her first radiation treatment on January 12th. She said, “It’s clear that I’m afraid. “My life was quite busy because I have severe claustrophobia,” she said.
Doherty wrote in a letter that she was grateful for her doctors despite going through a stressful time, writing, “I am fortunate as I have fantastic doctors like Dr. Amin Mirahdi and the amazing technologists at Cedar Sinai.”
“But this is what cancer may look like—that worry, that turbulence, that timing.” She uploaded a video of herself receiving radiation along with the message, showing no effort to hide her dread in the moment.
Doherty was initially diagnosed with cancer back in 2015. Her diagnosis was breast cancer with metastatic spread. Doherty underwent radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and a single mastectomy before achieving remission in 2017.
In 2017, Doherty and Chelsea Handler spoke about her battle with breast cancer. To hear what she had to say, watch the video below.
Doherty’s illness came back in 2019, but she held off on telling anyone. In 2020, Doherty revealed to the world that her breast cancer had reached stage 4. The finding that Doherty’s cancer has spread to her brain has dramatically worsened her health, and this time neither her husband nor family are providing for her.
Three months after learning she had brain cancer and beginning treatment, Doherty revealed in April 2023 that she was divorcing Kurt Iswarienko, the man she had been married to for 11 years. Apparently, he was “intimately involved” with his PR.
The most intimate updates to date have been the most recent.
After finding out about her cancer diagnosis, many of her well-known friends left comments on her Instagram post. “Rooting for you, my irreplaceable friend,” Kevin Smith wrote. “You have always been such a fearless fighter, so it is understandable that you occasionally feel frightened. But after those times have passed, allow that unbreakable Doherty spirit to reign once more.”
“This is a lot,” wrote Selma Blair. “Again, there’s a lot to handle here. And I’m hoping that in your moments of dread, all the knowledge of intelligent peace may come to you. to know you are in our care. Love, love, love.”
