Living with Courage and Hope
- Shannen Doherty announced earlier this month that she found out her husband, now ex, had been having an affair amid her stage 4 cancer fight
- The actress, who shared that her cancer has now spread to her bones, said she found out right before going into surgery to have a brain tumor removed
- Despite all of her extremely challenging obstacles, Doherty said she is determined to find love again, voicing that her spirits are high and she’s not giving up
- Doherty is hoping to participate in clinical trials in the near future as they become available to her — the goal with clinical trials is to make the disease more manageable, comparable to living with a chronic condition.
The actress and animal rights activist, during a cover interview with PEOPLE, said she is “not done with living,” posting a clip of her photo shoot and interview on Instagram.
Read MoreGetting the Emotional Support You Need
“I went into that surgery early in the morning, and I went in after I found out that my marriage was essentially over, that my husband had been carrying on an affair for two years,” Doherty said on her first podcast episode.
“Things have not been exactly easy and smooth. They’ve been really challenging at times, and it’s hard to find yourself suddenly single in your 50s and with Stage 4 cancer. That’s a hard one,” the former Beverly Hills, 90210 star added.
Doherty’s Breast Cancer Journey
Shannen Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 after she found a lump. She underwent hormone therapy, a single mastectomy, which removes the breast tissue from one breast, along with chemotherapy and radiation.
In 2017, she showed no evidence of disease. The actress remained in remission for two years until it unfortunately came back in 2019 as metastatic, or stage 4 cancer.
Earlier this year, Doherty shared a very brave post on Instagram, stating that the cancer had spread to her brain. “My fear is obvious,” she said within the update. “This is what cancer can look like.”
In the clip, her eyes teared as she shared “claustrophobic” footage of getting fitted for her head mask in order to undergo radiation to her brain. As fans look back on the video, it’s heartbreaking to know what was also happening behind the scenes with her marriage.
Facing another curveball just last month, Doherty announced that the cancer had spread to her bones, but stated that her spirits are high and she’s not giving up. Doherty hopes to participate in clinical trials in the near future as they become available to her.
“People just assume that it means you can’t walk, you can’t eat, you can’t work. They put you out to pasture at a very early age — ‘You’re done, you’re retired,’ and we’re not,” the Charmed star said further in her PEOPLE interview. “We’re vibrant, and we have such a different outlook on life. We are people who want to work and embrace life and keep moving forward.”
Staying Hopeful
Since Doherty’s treatment for brain metastasis, it’s unclear what her specific treatment has included since.
“The outlook for any patient with stage 4 cancer is very complex and difficult to assess,” radiation oncologist Dr. James Taylor of GensisCare, who is not involved with Doherty’s care, tells SurvivorNet.
Dr. Taylor explains that stage 4 cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment must be assessed on an “individualized basis,” adding that the prognosis depends on the prevalence of the disease in and outside the brain.
According to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, treatment for brain metastasis for many patients is “focused on slowing the growth of the malignancy (cancer) and relieving the resulting symptoms.”
Doherty is hoping to participate in clinical trials in the near future as they become available to her.
Dr. Beth Karlan, a gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Health, tells SurvivorNet that the goal with clinical trials is to advance cancer research to a point where the disease becomes manageable, more like a chronic condition like diabetes.
“Clinical trials hopefully can benefit you, but is also providing very, very vital information to the whole scientific community about the effectiveness of these treatments,” Dr. Karlan said.
“They can be lifesaving. In the last few years, we’ve seen many children and adults who have participated in trials and had miraculous results,” Dr. Karlan continued.
How to Support a Partner with Cancer
Feelings of “helplessness, lack of control, guilt, anger, embarrassment” are some common emotions parents, siblings, and other relatives within the household of someone battling a health condition may experience, according to researchers.
MacMillan Cancer Support, a charity that advocates for cancer patients, says communication is a vital tool in helping support a partner with cancer, and it could help a couple understand each other better.
“It can help to ask your partner what support they would like and find useful. This makes sure you help where it is most wanted and needed. It can also help you avoid misunderstandings,” the charity said.
Communicating your feelings is something licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin also believes is vital to helping couples dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
Dr. Strongin adds that people faced with cancer should “surround [themselves] with individuals who care and support [them]” throughout treatment while also acknowledging their limits on what they can handle.
“Going through [cancer] treatment is a very vulnerable and emotionally exhausting experience,” Dr. Strongin wrote in a column for SurvivorNet. “Noticing what you have strength for and what is feeling like too much [is] extremely important to pay attention to as you navigate treatment.”
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you find yourself struggling with a diagnosis or helping a loved one cope with their emotions, consider asking your doctor the following questions:
- How can I go about improving my outlook/mental health?
- Are there any activities I can do to encourage positive feelings?
- When should I seek other interventions if I’m still struggling?
- What are the steps to finding a different therapist if the one I’m using is not working out?
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