What Shannen Doherty Said About Her Cancer Journey

Revealing Her Illness

“Yes, I have breast cancer, and I am currently undergoing treatment. I am continuing to eat right, exercise and stay very positive about my life. I am thankful to my family, friends and doctors for their support and, of course, my fans who have stood by me.”

— to PEOPLE

On What Worried Her Most

“You worry most about the people that you love and making sure that they are going to be okay. For me, that was the hardest part.”

— on The Dr. Oz Show

On the Decision to Shave Her Head

“After my second treatment, my hair was really matted, like in dreadlocks. And I went to try and brush it out, and it just fell out. I just remember holding onto huge clumps of my hair in my hands and just running to my mom crying, like, ‘My hair, my hair, my hair, my hair.’

“It was just shedding and it was driving me crazy. It was just clumps, and I was like, ‘Just grab the kitchen scissors.’ And my mom’s like, ‘Wait, wait, wait.’ I’m just, like, ‘Grab it.’ She went and grabbed the kitchen scissors, and put it in a ponytail and she just chopped it off. And it was this cute little bob, but it wasn’t enough, you know, it was falling out.

“We did stages. We did a pixie. And then we did a mohawk, which was my favorite look. And then finally we had to get the shaver thing and just buzz[ed] it off.”

— on Entertainment Tonight

On the Scariest Aspect of Cancer to Her

“The unknown is always the scariest part. ‘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.”

— on Entertainment Tonight

On the Importance of Early Detection

“You have no idea what that extra time might have afforded you. Mine for instance spread to a lymph node or two. It might not have spread … The most important thing is catching it as early as humanly possible.”

— on The Dr. Oz Show

On Her Mother’s Caregiving

“Thank god I have her and thank god she is there. She is so strong, and my mom is like a steel magnolia. She is a Southern girl, and she puts on this very strong face with me. She is constantly looking stuff up and, you know, she will force-feed me Gatorade chips.”

— on Entertainment Tonight

On Why She Opened Up About Her Journey

“People don’t realize that cancer – yes, it ages you – but also, you can balloon up from the various meds. There are so many different reactions you have and so I just – I didn’t want someone to take a picture of me coming out of the grocery store and be like, ‘Oh God, look at her.’

“I wanted to put it out there the way it felt the best for me to put it out there; also, if I could help one person then it makes me go, ‘Oh, okay.’ It’s easier to live with having cancer if I know I’m helping at least one person.”

— Entertainment Tonight

Praising Her Doctor

“My oncologist, Dr. Lawrence Piro and I have a great relationship, one of mutual respect. He respects that I always come in with new questions and he takes the time to address and answer all of them… I like to say I’m his favorite patient but I have a feeling all of us think that. The key is to find a doctor who listens to you and appreciates your concerns. Not every cancer patient is the same. Also, it took me a lot of meetings to find my dream team. Don’t settle #dontbeafraidtoquestion #research #lovemydoctors.”

— on Instagram

On Finding Strength in the Stand Up to Cancer Community

“This night meant so much to so many people including myself. I’m forever humbled by the stories I heard tonight and the people I met. Thank you to all the amazing volunteers and crew that made this event happen. Thank you to everybody at @su2c who are so dedicated in trying to find a cure and give people with cancer better alternatives. I feel blessed to be a part of the cancer family tonight and to of witnessed such love.”

— on Instagram

On Becoming More in Touch with Herself

“I’ve been given a really interesting opportunity and one that in a way, I kind of feel blessed. Cancer has, in a strange way, done some amazing things for me. It’s allowed me to be more me, like much more in touch with who I am, and much more vulnerable and the person that I always was, but I think it got hidden behind a lot of other stuff.”

— to Entertainment Tonight

On Fitting in Fitness

“Hey guys, so it’s the day after chemo as you can see – red face, a little bit puffy from the steroids. I’m not feeling too great. I’m really tired. I was nauseous last night and achy. Everything sort of typical after chemo. I would prefer to be laying in bed right now and doing nothing, but guess where I’m heading? Going to go work out.

“I believe that just moving helps so much in the healing process. It’s not always easy and sometimes I can’t do it the next day but I try to make an effort to get the blood flowing and the toxins out of my body thru working out. Some days are easy workouts and other days I push it but the key is to MOVE!!! This is for any illness. Obviously check with your doctor. The road to recovery is paved with all sorts of different material. #beastmode #fightlikeagirl #warrior.”

— on Instagram

Offering Words of Encouragement

“#fbf to a very short bit ago. Day after #chemoday isn’t always so great. Sometimes one isn’t able to dance, or eat or even to think about the next day. Sometimes it just feels like you aren’t going to make it. That passes. Sometimes the next day or 2 days later or 6 but it passes and movement is possible. Hope is possible. Possibility is possible. To my cancer family and everyone suffering…. stay courageous. Stay strong. Stay positive. #wegotthis. #fightlikeagirl”

— on Instagram

On Completing the Last Day of Chemo

“Last day of chemo. Exhausted. Now that I’m done with chemo and radiation, the waiting game is here. Waiting for test. Waiting to see if I’m clear or not. Waiting for reconstruction. Waiting. I think when one gets cancer, they are always waiting to a certain extent. To those who know … I’m waiting with you.”

— on Instagram

On Starting a New Life

“Moments. They happen. Today was and is a moment. What does remission mean? I heard that word and have no idea how to react. Good news? YES. Overwhelming. YES. Now more waiting. As every single one of my fellow cancer family knows, the next five years is crucial. Reoccurrences happen all the time. Many of you have shared that very story with me. So with a heart that is certainly lighter, I wait. In the meantime, decisions. Reconstruction which is several surgeries. Decision on taking a pill for the next five years that comes with its own set of problems and side effects. I am blessed, I know that. But for now…. remission. I’m going to just breathe.”

— on Instagram

On Returning to Work

“Was back on set today. It’s been a rough two years. Fighting cancer. As an actor, people bench you. They assume you’re too weak, not able etc etc. and yet it’s something like work that invigorates and renews strength to conquer the unimaginable beast. I compared myself to a car today. That vintage Shelby that’s been in the garage too long. It’s still a great car. The best. Just needs time for the engine to warm up and it’s good to go. Performing like it’s supposed to. I’m grateful for today. Grateful for everyday.”

— on Instagram

On Preparing for Surgery and Vowing to Donate Blood

“My doctor had me bank some blood for my upcoming surgery. Mars P was patient with me and didn’t even roll his eyes at my anxiety over the needle size. He was patient, kind and really good. As I sat there banking blood for myself, I asked him about some of the people also donating… especially the ones with TVs. So two of them come every 2 weeks and donate platelets which takes 2 hours. Another girl comes as often as allowed to donate blood. To say I’m moved by the generosity of people is an understatement. I’m vowing that as long as I’m cleared in the future, I will start donating. Thank you to those selfless humans that donate.”

— on Instagram

On How Cancer Changed Her Outlook on Life

“I felt more feminine and vulnerable than I’ve felt in my entire life. I was always used to being the strong one, and during that time period, every wall I’d built up in my life came down. I also had a lot more time to look at myself and say, ‘I’m a pretty okay person’ and cut myself some slack. I’ve had a lot of those epiphanies. It’s OK to stumble.”

— to Health

On Sharing Her Journey on Social Media

“It was just about being as honest as possible. And then it became very important to me that I was there for people who were going through it. I would never give medical advice because I’m not a doctor, but I would always say, ‘Advocate for yourself.’

“I get a little less trolls and haters on social media now, so that’s good. I think because cancer stripped me of my defense mechanisms, it allowed people to see all sides of me.”

— to Health

On the Constant Worries

“I remember I got in the shower to wash my hair, and it just started coming out in clumps. I started screaming for my mom. I think that was harder than the surgeries. It was like, ‘Oh my God, this is real.’

“They were worried about my organs shutting down because I couldn’t keep anything in. One time, I couldn’t lift my head, I couldn’t suck on an ice cube, I was done. And Kurt was crying, saying, ‘Please don’t leave me.’ I looked at him and thought, ‘I can’t do this to him.’ So I dug deep, gathered everything up, and charged forward again.”

— to Health

On a Tough Diagnosis in 2020

“It’s going to come out in a matter of days or a week that I’m stage 4. So my cancer came back, and that’s why I’m here. I don’t think I’ve processed it. It’s a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways.

“One of the reasons, along with [the death of former costar Luke Perry], that I did 90210 and didn’t really tell anybody [about my diagnosis was] because I thought, people can look at that [as] people with stage 4 can work too. Our life doesn’t end the minute we get that diagnosis. We still have some living to do.”

— to Good Morning America

On the Misconceptions Some Have About People with Cancer

“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.

“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.”

— to PEOPLE

On Still Being Grateful

“My greatest memory is yet to come. I pray. I wake up and go to bed thanking God, praying for the things that matter to me without asking for too much. It connects me to a higher power and spirituality. My faith is my mantra.”

— to PEOPLE

On Being Open to Love Post-Divorce

“I don’t really know what it looks like. I have a best friend, a male best friend who we joke that we’re married, and his two kids and I have had massive breakthroughs and we just love each other and hang out, and I kind of view them as my children.

“I don’t know if it’s that or if it’s stumbling upon somebody and just feeling an instant connection. But think, as I said, I’m open, and I wasn’t. It’s a very brand new thing. And when I say brand new, I mean in the last three weeks, brand new.”

— to PEOPLE

On Wanting Children

“God, I vacillate on it all the time. I think I would love nothing more than to be a mom. I always wanted it, and I think if I did it with my best friend or a partner, then I don’t know any amount of time … I look at kids who don’t have parents at all, and I think if I adopt a child or whatever it is, any amount of time is better than nothing. Maybe. I don’t know.”

— to PEOPLE

On Finding Strength and Forgiveness

“You really have to dig deep to face cancer, and in that you find all the stuff that you had hidden away. And it’s beautiful things that you find. You find the vulnerability, you find your trust in people again, you find forgiveness.”

— to Good Morning America

On Some of the Perspective She Gained from Living with Cancer

“What’s really beautiful about it is, I think you become so incredibly sensitive that your eyes are, like, wide open to everything around you, to people, to how they react, to what you can possibly do that’s better for the world, like, what your purpose here is.

“Because I think I struggled with that kind of my entire life, being a child actor and then growing up acting, and I just never felt like I was accepted. I always, you know, looked at the Friends crew and was like, ‘Oh my god. I wanna hang out with Jen Aniston and Courteney Cox.’ And, you know, ‘Why doesn’t anybody accept me, and why am I always called the bad girl?’

“For me, cancer was that moment where I was like, ‘Oh, hell no.’ I don’t need to hang out with any of these people. I need to make sure I’m happy and living the best life that I can while I’m still alive.”

— on her podcast, Let’s Be Clear

On the ‘Hardest’ Time She Faced

“There’s so many protocols. Eventually – it’s stage 4 cancer — eventually those protocols are gonna stop working. And you just hope that you are on one long enough for them to actually come up with another protocol and another protocol … so it’s really hard. This is probably the hardest time for me that I’ve ever had with the cancer.

“I’ve always kinda felt very positive and, like, I can deal with it, and this is definitely like — I’m overly emotional. I wanna cry every single second at good or bad [things].”

— on Let’s Be Clear

On Being Fearless Through It All

“I’m not afraid of death because I know where I’m going. I know the people that I’m gonna see. I think I would be afraid of death if I wasn’t a good person, but I am.

“I don’t want to die, that’s the difference. I’m not afraid of dying, I just don’t want to die. Like ever. I just want the aging process to stop for sure. But I’m not done. I’m not done with life. I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better. I’m just not done.”

— to PEOPLE