Shannen Doherty is not losing hope after announcing that her stage 4 breast cancer has spread to her bones.
In a story published Wednesday, the 52-year-old actress told People magazine that she remains in good spirits even though the cancer is spreading. She said she is determined to continue her work as an actress, raise awareness about cancer research and “reflect on the bigger picture” of her life.
“I don’t want to die,” Doherty said.
The “Charmed” and “Beverly Hills, 90210” actress said she hopes to participate in clinical trials as new treatments are developed, but what drives her now is a desire to “prove” that she can work despite her diagnosis of cancer.
“I’m not done with life,” she told People. “I’m not done with love. I’m not done with creation. I’m not done with hoping to change things for the better. I’m just not… I’m not done.”
Doherty has been dealing with her. cancer diagnosis for almost a decade. She was diagnosed for the first time with breast cancer in 2015, after she said her dog Bowie started “obsessively sniffs” his side. In 2016, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and she had to undergo eight rounds of chemotherapy and radiation.
He went into remission in 2017, but a year later, his tumor markers were “elevated,” according to the Associated Press. Then in 2020, she announced on “Good Morning America” that she had returned as stage 4meaning it has spread beyond its original location, according to the American Cancer Society.
Then in June, she shared how the cancer had spread to her brain in an emotional video in which she cried while undergoing radiation.
Doherty told People that she was frustrated by the way she had been treated since her diagnosis, with people assuming that cancer patients no longer had lives.
“People just assume that means you can’t walk, you can’t eat, you can’t work. They put you out to pasture at a very young age: ‘You’re done, you’re retired,’ and we’re not,” he said. “We are vibrant and have a very different perspective on life. We are people who want to work, embrace life and keep moving forward.”
But Doherty said he has a lot to look forward to and is confident in his faith now more than ever.
“My greatest memory is yet to come,” Doherty said. “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.”
