Acclaimed actress and steadfast fighter, Shannen Doherty’s journey through her battle with cancer has been one of resilience, vulnerability, and strength. As she navigates the stormy waves of this formidable opponent, she opened her heart to her fans, shared her struggles and triumphs, and reminded us all of the indomitable will of the human spirit…
As Mamas Uncut originally reported, Doherty was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015.
Doherty posted a video of herself sobbing as she underwent radiotherapy eight years later.
On January 5, she revealed that she had been informed that the disease had spread to her brain. “My CT scan showed Mets in my brain,” Doherty wrote. The first round of radiation was carried out on January 12. My concerns are obvious.
I’m really claustrophobic and I’ve had a lot going on in my life, Doherty continued. I am blessed to have excellent medical professionals like Dr. Amin Mirahdi and the excellent technicians of Cedar Sinai. But the anxiety, the turbulence, the timing – that’s what cancer can look like.
In a touching video, she was seen crying as she was given her first radiation treatment. The actress also seems to have hinted at her choice to end her 11-year marriage.
Doherty announced in April that she had divorced Kurt Iswarienko, her husband of 11 years. “Divorce is the last thing Shannen wanted,” Doherty’s agent Leslie Sloane told People exclusively.
Unfortunately, she believed she had no other choice. According to Sloane, Deputy Iswarienko was “intimately involved” in the divorce.
According to TMZ, Doherty, and Iswarienko have been divorced since January, which is when Doherty found out about her prognosis.
Doherty sent a cryptic note just before news of the divorce went public, but has not commented on it personally. “Only those who treat you with love, kindness, and total respect deserve to be in your life.”
Sarah Michelle Gellar, a friend of Doherty’s, left a comment on the article saying “I think you’ll be in my life forever then.”
Iswarienko has been with Doherty since she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 after discovering a lump in her own breast. Hormone therapy marked the beginning of Doherty’s battle with breast cancer.
But in the end, she needed radiation, chemotherapy, and a single mastectomy. In 2017, two years after receiving her initial diagnosis, Doherty said she was in remission, according to Self.
Unfortunately, the actress revealed that the disease returned in 2020. According to Ella, she was diagnosed with stage I metastatic breast cancer that had spread to other areas of her body, including her spine.
Doherty said she discovered the disease had returned after she felt severe pain in her back. “I’ve been working out and I’m a little sore” was no longer a statement. “God it hurts!” was the reaction.
*I don’t think I’ve processed it,’ she told Good Morning America at the time. It is difficult to swallow in many ways. There are definitely days when I think, “Why me?” Then I think, “Well, why not me? Who else deserves it but me? Not everyone.”
As People reported in 2020, Doherty began hormone therapy along with another stabilizing medication. Unfortunately, her “cancer is incurable and will likely spread to her brain, lungs, and liver.”
In 2019, Doherty told Health Magazine about the moment she was initially diagnosed. “There was a lump and I had a mammogram and then a biopsy.”*
“When I got the results, I was in the car with my mom and I knew it. The longer I sat, the more it started to go down. Then I started crying. I called my husband and told him. I just got the team together.”
Doherty spoke to Elle in September 2020 after learning the cancer had returned. She acknowledged that she was getting to the end, but there was something else she wanted to finish.
I haven’t started writing letters yet. I have to take care of it. I need to talk to my mother. I want my husband to understand how much he means to me, she said.
“However, I always feel so definitive when it’s my turn to do it. It seems like you’re saying goodbye, but I’m still here. I believe I’m a very, very healthy person. When you believe you have 10 or 15 more years of life, it can be difficult to settle your affairs.
Although the prognosis is not the best, Doherty intends to make the most of his remaining time. *I try to appreciate all the little things that most people overlook or overlook.
“To me, the little things are magnified. We all have an unlimited well that needs to be dug constantly to have the willpower to face challenges and the ability to appreciate all that is beautiful,” Doherty told Elle.
In the last few years, Doherty has also decided to use her social media to talk about her struggle. The actor told Health that her only goal was to be “as honest as possible.”
“And that’s when it became crucial for me to be there for others who were going through this. Since I’m not a doctor, I would never recommend anything medical, but I would always advise people to ‘advocate for themselves.'” On social media, too I see a slight decrease in trolls and haters, which is positive. I believe that due to the illness, it destroyed my defenses, people could see me from all angles.
Doherty told ET that despite how fine she seemed to be with whatever might happen, “the unknown is always the scariest thing. Will the chemo work? Will the radiation work? Do you know if I’m going to have to go through this?” again or if I will have secondary cancer?
The speaker said: “Everything else is manageable. The pain is manageable. You understand it’s possible to survive without a breast. It’s the fear of the future and how it affects the people you care about.”
She acknowledges that while cancer has put her through a lot, she has also benefited from her fight. Doherty said during an interview with Good Morning America that she believes cancer “made me a better actor.”
I also believe it has improved me as a person. It removes all your defense mechanisms, roadblocks, and challenges that life has thrown your way. You’re protecting yourself, so yes, it all comes crashing down,” she added.
She also stated that she will never give up in the midst of the scariest battle anyone can face on Good Morning America. “Facing cancer takes a lot of strength, and in doing so you discover all the things you’ve hidden away. And what you discover is beautiful: You rediscover your capacity for vulnerability and your capacity for trust. You gain forgiveness.”
The bravery Doherty displays in the face of the unknown speaks to the depth of human resilience. It is a resilience that transcends physical limitations and includes emotional vulnerability. As she gracefully navigates this path, Doherty’s legacy extends beyond her on-screen accomplishments; it’s about her willingness to share her truth, to transform personal struggles into a rallying cry for understanding, compassion, and celebration of life’s smallest moments.
In her own words, Doherty acknowledges that she continues to fight for survival, defying the odds and facing each day with the tenacity that defines her. Her story is one of transformation, finding beauty in vulnerability, and lighting the way for others who face similar challenges. As she navigates this uncharted territory, she stands as a beacon of hope and inspiration, reminding us all that even in the midst of the darkest storms, there remains a glimmer of light that illuminates the path to courage, connection, and the enduring spirit of the human heart.
I will continue to fight to survive.