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

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.

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.

“January 12, 2023. On January 5th, my ct scan showed Mets in my brain,” Doherty captioned Tuesday’s Instagram post alongside footage of herself at the hospital. “Yesterday’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.”

“My fear is obvious,” she confessed. “I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life.”

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

“I am fortunate as I have great doctors like Dr. Amin Mirahdi and the amazing techs at Cedar Sinai,” the 52-year-old explained. “But that fear…. The turmoil….. the timing of it all…. This is what cancer can look like.”

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

“This 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. 💛 ,” 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 “fighting to stay alive” during a guest appearance on Good Morning America, as OK! previously reported.

“I never want to operate [like I’m dying],” she confessed at the time, noting her dislike of bucketlists: “I just want to operate as I don’t have things to check off because I’m going to keep fighting to stay alive.”