Shannen Doherty is facing another challenging battle with stage 4 breast cancer.
The 53-year old actress revealed on her ‘Let’s Be Clear‘ podcast that she must undergo chemotherapy again due to changes in her cancer cells.
“I thought I was fine. I am having to go back on chemo and it’s really hard, like the idea of going through that all over again has wrecked me,” Doherty emotionally shared on the episode.
The actress discussed the necessity of getting a port implanted in her chest for chemotherapy administration, a procedure she found physically and emotionally draining during her previous treatments. Despite her initial preference for IV infusions, this time around, a port is essential.
“It’s really hard. Like, the idea of going through that all over again has wrecked me. It’s wrecked me in a sense of, yes, I knew that I had stage 4, yes, I knew that it was really serious, yes, I’ve taken steps to protect my family and clean up a lot of stuff,” she expressed, highlighting the stark reality of facing serious medical procedures.
Uncertainty looms over Doherty’s treatment duration and outcomes, which is naturally adding to her anxieties surrounding her health. “Because I have no idea how long I’m going to be on the chemo for, I have no idea if it’s going to be for three months, if it’s going to be six months,” she confessed. “That’s not something that I can predict, it’s not something my doctors can predict. And it’s scary.”
Despite the challenges, Doherty finds a glimmer of hope in the expanded treatment protocols available to her this time, offering a sense of optimism amidst the unknowns.
“For the first time in a couple months probably, I feel more hopeful,” she admitted. “There is hope mixed with my own bit of sadness because again, I don’t know what these chemos … I don’t know how I’m going to feel.”
Doherty, known for her roles in Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed, was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015, achieving remission before the disease returned at stage 4 in 2020.
Alongside her health challenges, she navigates a divorce from her husband Kurt Iswarienko, filing in April 2023 after 11 years of marriage.
Court documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight reveal Doherty’s requests for $15,434 per month in spousal support, retroactive from June 1, and $9,100 in attorney’s fees and costs from Iswarienko. The legal proceedings add another layer of complexity to her personal journey amidst health struggles.
Throughout her public disclosures and ongoing treatments, Doherty remains candid about her emotions, and we are sending her our thoughts at this difficult time.
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