'This is what cancer can look like,' the 'Beverly Hills, 90210' actress writes on Instagram.
Shannen Doherty is sharing a very personal video from earlier this year. On Wednesday, the Beverly Hills, 90210 star took to Instagram to talk about Jan. 6, when she underwent surgery.
"I had a tumor in my head they wanted to remove and also biopsy. I am clearly trying to be brave but I am petrified," Doherty captioned a video her speaking to a medical professional ahead of her procedure. "The fear was overwhelming to me. Scared of all possible bad outcomes, worried about leaving my mom and how that would impact her. Worried that I would come out of surgery not me anymore. This is what cancer can look like."
The 52-year-old actress' post comes after she revealed earlier this month that her cancer has spread to her brain.
In a post shared on Instagram, Doherty again opened up about the fear she faced as she was placed under a machine for radiation treatment.
"January 12, 2023. On January 5th, my CT scan showed Mets in my brain. Yesterday's video was showing the process of getting fitted for the mask which you wear during radiation to your brain. January 12, the first round of radiation took place," she wrote next to footage that shows her crying as she's inside the machine. "My fear is obvious. I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life. I am fortunate as I have great doctors like Dr Amin Mirahdi and the amazing techs at cedar sinai. But that fear…. The turmoil….. the timing of it all…. This is what cancer can look like."
Earlier that week, Doherty also posted a video of the process of her head getting fitted for a mask that would hold it steady while she goes under the machine.
The actress has been open about her cancer journey for years now. She was first diagnosed in 2015, and the following year, she revealed that she underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy before going into remission in 2017.
In 2020, during an interview with Good Morning America, Doherty revealed that her cancer returned and was stage 4, which means that it spread from its original location. A year later, the Charmed star told ET that she was "doing well," and was optimistic about 2022.
"If I were dreaming of what would happen in 2022, I think a lot more research and progression as far as finding the cure for cancer is my ultimate, ultimate dream because even though I am thriving and I’m doing well, I still have cancer and you don’t want stage 4, but I have it and so I think in the back of my mind, this constant sort of OK, 'What can I do to help bring more awareness, what can I do the help raise money, what can I do to sort of push research for not just myself but for everybody else who is suffering from cancer?'" Doherty shared.
For more on her health journey, check out the links below.
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