Health heartbreak: Shannen Doherty reveals cancer spread to her brain as ‘fear’ and ‘turmoil’ take over her life

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Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty attends the FOX Summer TCA 2019 All-Star Party at Fox Studios on August 7, 2019 in Los Angeles. (Photo credit should read MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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Shannen Doherty shared a devastating cancer update with her fans.

On Tuesday, June 6, the Beverly Hills, 90210 star revealed via an Instagram post that she had brain metastases, meaning cancer from another part of her body had spread to her brain.

@shannendoherty/instagram

Doherty was diagnosed with invasive b***** cancer in 2015 and later went into remission. In 2020, the Charmed actress heartbreakingly announced the cancer had spread and returned as stage 4.

โ€œJanuary 12, 2023. On January 5th, my ct scan showed Mets in my brain,โ€ Doherty captioned Tuesdayโ€™s Instagram post alongside footage of herself at the hospital. โ€œYesterdayโ€™s video was showing the process of getting fitted for the mask which you wear during radiation to your brain. January 12, the first round of radiation took place.โ€

โ€œMy fear is obvious,โ€ she confessed. โ€œI am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life.โ€

Despite struggling with the reality of her health battle, Doherty appeared to hold onto positive thoughts.

@shannendoherty/instagram

โ€œI am fortunate as I have great doctors like Dr. Amin Mirahdi and the amazing techs at Cedar Sinai,โ€ the 52-year-old explained. โ€œBut that fearโ€ฆ. The turmoilโ€ฆ.. the timing of it allโ€ฆ. This is what cancer can look like.โ€

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@shannendoherty/instagram

Dohertyโ€™s longtime friend Selma Blair โ€” who has been open about her own health battle after a 2018 multiple sclerosis diagnosis โ€” left kind words for her bestie in the comments section of the post.

โ€œThis is a lot. 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. Love. All love. ๐Ÿ’› ,โ€ the Cruel Intentions star expressed.

While it has never been easy, Doherty has always been honest with her fans about her intense health woes.

In 2021, the Heathers actress admitted she was โ€œfighting to stay aliveโ€ during a guest appearance on Good Morning America, as OK! previously reported.

โ€œI never want to operate [like Iโ€™m dying],โ€ she confessed at the time, noting her dislike of bucketlists: โ€œI just want to operate as I donโ€™t have things to check off because Iโ€™m going to keep fighting to stay alive.โ€


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