‘Not That Difficult to Work With,’ Shannen Doherty is Proving Critics Wrong and Transforming What It Means to Live with Advanced Breast Cancer

“I was warned by like everybody that you were incredibly difficult,” Bressack shared while discussing the anticipation he had a decade ago for meeting Doherty, whom he immediately clicked with — especially after she accidentally tripped down the stairs and said, “I meant to do that.”

Throughout the episode, Bressack pulled out Doherty’s most authentic self as she cracked up the whole way through and shared how “embarassing” her fall was after that first meeting, sounding the opposite of difficult.

When she later shared the “difficult to work with” clip to her Instagram, her caption read: “Listen to @jamescullenb and me laugh, reminisce, discuss our dads and be friends.”

“Plus his drunken marriage proposals,” she joked.

Doherty Has Leaned on Close Pals Through Cancer

According to the American Psychiatric Association, 1 in 3 Americans said they felt lonely once a week over the past year, largely due to repercussions from the pandemic, and our society’s growing dependency on social media, so imagine what that can feel like for cancer survivors. This loneliness epidemic is affecting people’s mental and physical health. That’s why it’s crucial to reach out for support.

No one should have to go through cancer alone.

In addition to living with cancer, Doherty is also navigating through divorce from her long-time husband Kurt Iswarienko, another topic the typically private star has been candid about with her new podcast venture as her support system rallies even closer around her.

In a recent interview, Doherty’s costar and friend Brian Austin Green described the actress as “a fighter.”

“She’s a fighter. She’s been facing challenges over the last, gosh, decade now that are just, they’re difficult things,” Green said on the Oldish podcast.

RELATED: Shannen Doherty Reflects On Getting Wise & Stronger Amid Divorce & Metastatic Breast Cancer Battle: ‘Better Friends Come Along’

“She is absolutely leading by example and showing people that even in the toughest of times, you can keep your head up and you can be a good person…and she is, she’s an amazing person, and I think she’s an inspiration for people, she should be.”

Doherty’s best friend Chris Cortazzo, a Malibu-based real estate powerhouse, makes up a lot of Doherty’s Instagram feed, with trips to Vegas and Mexico and low-key hangs on the Southern California coast, where Doherty also lives.

Doherty has also had former Charmed costar and close supporter Holly Marie Combs on her podcast, the duo giving their side of the story and sharing intimate details behind the scenes and what really transpired with Doherty’s exit on the show.

Shannen Doherty’s Cancer Battle

Shannen Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 after she discovered a lump in her breast. For treatment the first time around, she underwent hormone therapy, a single mastectomy (the removal of all breast tissue from one breast), chemotherapy and radiation.

In 2017, Doherty was deemed to be in remission, however, the cancer returned just two years later in 2019. The cancer had spread to other parts of her body making it a metastatic, or stage four, cancer diagnosis.

Treating Metastatic Breast Cancer

Then early last year, Doherty’s breast cancer spread to her brain. She underwent surgery to remove the tumor. but despite her health struggles she hasn’t lost hope, continues working and pursuing her dreams while still making time for friends and family.

There is technically no cure for metastatic breast cancer, but that doesn’t mean people can’t live fully with this stage of disease, thanks to hormone therapy, chemotherapy, targeted drugs and immunotherapy, as well as a combination of treatments.

Resilience: Navigating Life’s Curveballs

Accepting that cancer is something that just happens, and it’s not your fault, is a big part of coming to terms with the disease. Breast cancer survivor Heather Maloney said simply trying to enjoy her life, even on chemo days, made a big difference when she was facing the disease.

Sometimes Bad Things Happen — Enjoying Life, Even With Cancer

“Find moments of gratitude, and you will get through it,” Heather says. “Not everybody does, but we all do eventually see an ending to it. Life is hard for everybody, but I’m able to more readily and easily access a level of gratitude about being alive. I’m lucky to be alive today.”

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