Friendsgiving to Remember
- Shannen Doherty, fighting metastatic breast cancer, filmed a hilarious Friendsgiving video with bestie Sarah Michelle Gellar where the played ping pong, participated in the wine challenge, and cooked a delicious feast.
- Metastatic breast cancer means the cancer has spread throughout the body and is no longer confined to the breast.
- Experts encourage all of those battling cancer to spend time doing activities they love; a positive attitude is directly linked to successful treatment outcomes.
While filming a Thanksgiving video for supermarket chain Kroger, Doherty and Gellar, 43, gave all of us look into how she doesn’t play around when it comes to the holiday season. In addition to cooking a lavish feast, Doherty and Gellar let their competitive sides show during a playful ping pong match and a wine challenge we are a little jealous of. After all, what says Thanksgiving other than wine, food, and a little outdoor sport?
Read MoreGellar has been one of Doherty’s biggest cheerleaders throughout her cancer battle. The 90210 actress publicly announced that her breast cancer had returned, and progressed to stage 4, in February. Despite the diagnosis, Gellar and Doherty have taken some time to relax and let loose in order to bring some much-needed positivity to Doherty’s fight. Studies prove that those battling cancer see better treatment outcomes if they’re able to keep their spirits up, and thanks largely to Gellar, Doherty has been able to laugh through challenging times.
What is Metastatic Breast Cancer?
Metastatic breast cancer, also referred to as advanced cancer, means the cancer has spread to the body and is no longer confined to the breasts. Currently, there’s is no “cure” for this disease, but there are treatment options to keep the cancer maintained and prevent it from growing any further.
Treatment for metastatic breast cancer can include hormone therapy, chemotherapy and targeted drugs. In some cases, surgery or radiation might be considered. The goal of treatment is to keep the patient as stable as possible, slow the tumor growth, and improve quality of life.
“For most women, the first step is figuring out, are you having any symptoms? If somebody comes in and they’re in extraordinary pain from having cancer in their bones, we can immediately address that pain and make that better,” Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. “The next step that we work on is really trying to reduce the cancer, meaning give specific therapy that will decrease the cancer from growing and ideally shrink it and decrease those symptoms.”
Dr. Elizabeth Comen breaks down metastatic breast cancer
It’s Important to Find Joy
Doherty letting loose with Gellar and enjoying some lighthearted activities is something others battling cancer should really consider. During cancer treatment, it can be hard to focus on anything except your cancer battle. However, Doherty is the perfect example that it's important to take a moment and focus on things that makes you genuinely happy. No matter what you enjoy doing, experts recommend you try to take some time out of your day a few times a week and really enjoy those special pockets of joy.
"We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes," Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, tells SurvivorNet. "So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival. If that's related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities."
These activities may include a walk in the park, picnic with friends, or if you’re like Doherty, a ping pong game. Whatever you choose, laughter can be a great natural medicine during challenging times.
Dr. Dana Chase encourages those facing cancer to find moments of joy during treatment
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