Shannen Doherty is opening up about the devastating news she received regarding her battle with breast cancer.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the “Beverly Hills 90210” alum revealed that her cancer has spread.
“I had breast cancer that spread to the lymph nodes, and from one of my surgeries we discovered that some of the cancer cells might have actually gone out of the lymph nodes,” Doherty said. “So for that reason, we are doing chemo, and then after chemo, I’ll do radiation.”
Doherty, who had a mastectomy in May, also opened up about her biggest fears throughout her battle.
“The unknown is always the scariest part,” she said. “Is the chemo going to work? Is the radiation going to work? You know, am I going to have to go through this again, or am I going to get secondary cancer? Everything else is manageable. Pain is manageable, you know, living without a breast is manageable. It’s the worry of your future and how your future is going to affect the people that you love.”
The 45-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2015. She recently documented the process of shaving her head on Instagram for her fans.
”I’m being so personal right now, but I think a lot of women can probably go, ‘Yeah, I’ve been through that.’ It’s great, though, you get to pick out what size you want,” she told ET, noting that her doctor “didn’t want me to wake up with absolutely nothing” after her mastectomy, so he put an expander in to give her a “tiny something there.”
The actress was surprised at how emotional she got when getting fitted for a new bra.
“It was traumatic and horrible, and I didn’t think anything of it at the time, then my mom went with me and I broke down crying in the dressing room and ran out,” she said. “And then sat in the car crying.”
Doherty hopes that by sharing her personal journey, she can help other women realize they’re not struggling alone.
“I wanted to put it out there the way it felt the best for me to put it out there,” she added. “And also, if I could help one person, then it makes me go, ‘Oh, OK.’ It’s easier to live with having cancer if I know I’m helping at least one person.”
