Shannen Doherty took to social media on Wednesday to give more insight into her ongoing battle with cancer.
The 52-year-old Beverly Hills 90210 graduate, who recently revealed she is now battling brain cancer, has uploaded a video clip showing her speaking to a doctor before undergoing surgery to remove a tumor from her head undergoes.
She wowed her 2 million Instagram followers, writing along with the outtake: “16. January 2023. Surgery.” I had a tumor in my head that they wanted to remove and also biopsy. I’m obviously trying to be brave, but I’m petrified.’
Shannen was shown in a hospital bed, wearing a gown and a cap over her hair, and appeared to be in good spirits before being put under anesthesia.
Her caption continued, “This is what cancer can look like.”
Staying strong: Shannen Doherty took to social media on Wednesday to give more insight into her ongoing battle with cancer; pictured in 2019
Life-changing: The 52-year-old Beverly Hills 90210 graduate – who recently announced she now has a brain tumor – has uploaded a video clip showing her speaking to a doctor before a tumor is removed from her head
Elsewhere in the caption, Shannen said, “The fear was overwhelming for me.” Fear of all sorts of dire consequences, fear of leaving my mother and what effect that would have on her. I was afraid that I would come out of the operation, no longer myself.”
This comes after the actress underwent a CT scan on Jan. 5, which found cancer cells had spread to her brain from their original site — so-called “brain metastases.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, breast cancer is among the cancers most likely to lead to brain metastases, which could cause one or more tumors in the brain.
Shannen explained that she underwent her first radiation therapy on Jan. 12 and that despite having a “great” medical team, she is scared.
Her post included a heartbreaking clip of her crying while receiving cancer treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
“12. January 2023,” the headline began. “On January 5, my CT scan showed Mets in my brain.”
She then referenced a video clip showing her performing an MRI.
The star explained that this is part of the “process of adjusting to the mask you wear while your brain is being irradiated.”
The 52-year-old actress underwent a CT scan on January 5, which revealed cancer cells had spread from their original site to her brain — what’s known as “brain metastases.”
In the clip, Shannen lay down while doctors placed a blue cast over her face and head. They made her bite to make sure the bite adhered to her mouth and chin.
Shannen began to cry as they held the edges of the mask and attached it to a board behind her head before putting it in the machine.
The actress continued, “On January 12th, the first round of radiation took place.” “My anxiety is obvious.”
Radiation treatment “uses beams of energy to destroy cancer cells” and it can “target all or part of the brain, depending on a person’s diagnosis,” according to NYU Langone Health.
“I’m extremely claustrophobic and have had a lot going on in my life,” Shannen wrote. “I’m lucky to have great doctors like Dr. Amin Mirahdi and the amazing technicians at Cedar Sinai.
Radiation: Shannen explained that she underwent her first radiation therapy on Jan. 12 and that despite having a “great” medical team, she still feels scared
According to the Mayo Clinic, breast cancer is one of the cancers most likely to result in brain metastases, which could cause one or more tumors in the brain
Emotional: Her post included a heartbreaking clip of her crying while receiving cancer treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles
“But this fear… The riot….. the timing of it all…. “This is what cancer can look like,” she concluded.
Earlier this year, Doherty accused SAG-AFTRA of canceling her health insurance based on her income levels in March.
The agency’s website states, “You must earn $26,470 in your base earnings period to earn earned eligibility for Active Plan health insurance coverage.”
In an Instagram post shared on March 9, Shannen targeted both SAG-AFTRA and its president, Fran Drescher, a cancer survivor who has described herself as an “anti-capitalist.”
Shannen argued, “Health insurance shouldn’t be based on annual income.” It’s a lifetime contribution. And for me and many others, we’ve paid lifetime contributions only to be canceled because we don’t meet your current criteria. Not OK.’
Shannen learned in 2020 that she had stage IV breast cancer — having entered remission after being first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015.
She told GMA at the time that the cancer had returned aggressively.