Shannen Doherty says the breast cancer with which she was first diagnosed in 2015 has spread to her brain, and shared an emotional video describing her fear as she undergoes treatment.
The 52-year-old actress best known for Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed wrote on her Instagram page that a January CT scan “showed Mets in my brain.”
On Monday, she shared a video on Instagram that she said depicted “the process of getting fitted for the mask you wear during radiation to your brain.” On Tuesday, she shared a follow-up video of her undergoing the first round of that radiation treatment in mid-January.
Doherty can been seen crying as she prepares to undergo the procedure while outfitted with the protective mask.
“My fear is obvious,” Doherty wrote. “I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life.”
Doherty in April filed for divorce from her husband of 11 years, photographer Kurt Iswarienko.
“I am fortunate as I have great doctors like Dr. Amin Mirahdi and the amazing techs at Cedars-Sinai,” Doherty wrote in her Instagram post. “But that fear. The turmoil. The timing of it all. This is what cancer can look like.”
Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, but after she underwent treatment, it went into remission by 2017. However, she announced in a 2020 GMA interview that it had returned as Stage 4 cancer.
The actress has worked since her diagnosis, saying she knew about the diagnosis when shooting the 90210 reboot, which aired on Fox in 2019. She also shot the Heathers reboot for TV Land in late 2016 and several Lifetime projects.
Among those posting responses to Doherty today were actress Selma Blair, who has faced her own health struggles with MS. Blair wrote, “This is a lot to take on, still again. And I am wishing for all the wise peace you have learned to find you in the terror moments. To know we are holding you.”
Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar replied, “You are a warrior,” while Mira Sorvino added, “Sending you love.”
Actor/director Kevin Smith wrote, “Rooting for you, my irreplaceable friend. You have been such a fearless fighter your whole life, so it’s understandable to be a little scared from time to time. But when those moments pass, let that indomitable Doherty spirit take over anew.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
