Shannen Doherty, 49, Reveals a Big Concern She Has While Fighting Metastatic Breast Cancer: How Are Those Around Her Coping?

Related: Sarah Michelle Gellar Says She's Learned Important Life Lessons From Bestie Shannen Doherty During Her Breast Cancer Battle

However, Doherty makes an important point about those who take care of us during the times we need the most. They need to take care of themselves too. Even though she is the one battling cancer, the emotional impact stretches beyond just the patient. In order to cope with a loved one battling this disease, resources need to be available for everyone going on this journey.

“We all just focus only on the person with the cancer, but there’s everybody else,” Doherty says. “There is that support system. There is the, how is it impacting my mom? How is it impacting my husband? How is it impacting my friends? Just because you’re not the one with cancer, doesn’t mean you’re not going through something emotional.”

What is Metastatic Breast Cancer?

Metastatic breast cancer, also known as advanced breast cancer, is diagnosed when the disease has spread to other parts of the body besides the chest. At the moment, there’s no “cure” for this advanced cancer, but researchers have found different ways to manage and maintain the disease so it does not continue to progress.

"I have so many patients who are living with their cancer," Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet. "[There's] lots of different ways of thinking about how we treat [advanced] breast cancer, that it isn't just about living, but living well."

Related: The FDA Just Approved a Promising New Drug for Metastatic Breast Cancer

Treatment to maintain the disease can be tailored to specific characteristics of someone's tumor. This form of personalized medicine can really help treatment outcomes be more successful. These are called targeted therapies, which have shown huge promise for women facing advanced breast cancer.

Breast cancer survivor Dr. Kelly Shanahan says metastatic breast cancer is different for everyone

Caretakers Need Resources

Doherty’s point about loved ones taking care of themselves is so important, and definitely worth noting. When you watch a loved one battle cancer, it can be easy to put your own emotional health aside. Caretakers, whether they’re professionals, friends, or family members, are essential parts of someone’s cancer journey. Not only can they help them with their physical well-being, but also keep them uplifted and positive. Studies have shown that patients who are able to stay positive typically end up seeing more successful outcomes. However, it’s key that these caregivers remain positive as well.

Related: Patrick Dempsey's Advice to Cancer Caregivers: Take Care of Yourself, Too

Take actor Patrick Dempsey as an example. He helped take care of his mother as she battled ovarian cancer for 17 years, which taught him an important lesson about how cancer caregivers can stop focusing on themselves. “We have to look at the psychological impact and have enough self-awareness to ask for help,” Dempsey tells SurvivorNet. “Remember to take care of yourself. Because if you’re not taking care of yourself, then it’s going to be harder for you to take care of the person you’re in charge with.”

Taking care of yourself can refer to a number of different things: a nice dinner, a walk in the park, or re-watching your favorite movie. Whatever someone chooses, always remember that cancer’s emotional impact doesn’t just happen to the patient.

Patrick Dempsey talks to SurvivorNet about why cancer caregivers need resources too

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