Shannen Doherty says breast cancer spread to her brain, expresses "fear" and "turmoil"

"Charmed" and "Beverly Hills, 90210" actor Shannen Doherty said on Instagram Tuesday that her breast cancer, which she was first diagnosed with in 2015, has spread to her brain. 

The news was shared with an emotional video of Doherty, 52, crying as she underwent radiation. The process entails patients wearing a custom-made mask that keeps the head still during the treatment so that the lasers can hit the tumor as accurately as possible. 

"On January 5th, my ct scan showed Mets in my brain," Doherty said. "...January 12 the first round of radiation took place. My fear is obvious." 

Doherty says that she is "extremely claustrophobic" and that "there was a lot going on in my life" when the treatment was conducted. The announcement came a day after she shared another video in which she was being fitted for the radiation mask after she received her CT scan. 

"That fear.... The turmoil..... the timing of it all.... This is what cancer can look like," she added. 

Doherty has been dealing with her cancer diagnosis for years. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, after she says that her dog Bowie started to "obsessively sniff" her side. By 2016, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, and she had to undergo eight rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. 

She went into remission in 2017, but a year later, her tumor markers became "elevated," according to the Associated Press. Then in 2020, she announced on "Good Morning America" that it had returned as stage 4, meaning that it has spread beyond its original location, according to the American Cancer Society. 

Doherty broke the news that her cancer has spread weeks after the "Heathers" star filed for divorce from her husband, Kurt Iswarienko, her representative told the Associated Press. They had been married for 11 years.

"Divorce is the last thing Shannen wanted," her publicist told the outlet. "Unfortunately, she felt she was left with no other option." 

In:
• Cancer
• Breast Cancer

Li Cohen

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.