What type of cancer does Shannen Doherty have? Survival rate explored amid concerning health update

Shannen Doherty has been battling terminal breast cancer for a long time but now, the cancer has spread to the brain despite getting treatment. Breast cancer's survival rate is 99% if it is detected while present only in the breast, but 86% if it reaches the regional lymph nodes. The survival rate is 30% if the cancer spreads to a distant body part.

Doherty posted a video on Instagram where she was undergoing radiation therapy and she wrote that there were Mets in her brain according to the CT scan. She addressed another video she shared the previous day, saying that she was fitting herself into a mask that is used for radiation to the brain. She added:

Shannen Doherty's Instagram post (Image via theshando/Instagram)

"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."

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Breast cancer: Symptoms, causes, prevention, and more

Mayo Clinic says that breast cancer starts in the breast cells and is common in women. Increased support in breast cancer awareness and research funding has helped in early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Common symptoms of breast cancer include a breast lump or thickening, breast size and shape changes, skin changes in the breast, inverted n*pple, peeling or scaling of the pigmented section of the skin, and redness of the skin over the breast.

Certain risk factors are linked to this disease. This includes a history of breast problems, inherited genes, exposure to radiation, obesity, periods starting at a young age, menopause, delivering a first child at an older age, postmenopausal hormone therapy, and drinking alcohol.

In case someone is suffering from breast cancer, they can opt for medications like selective estrogen receptor modulators and aromatase inhibitors. They can also choose the option of surgically removing the breasts.

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Shannen Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015

In an interview with People in 2015, Shannen Doherty revealed that she was struggling with breast cancer and was undergoing treatment. She stated that she has started to exercise and thanked everyone who supported her.

She revealed the diagnosis after leaked court documents stated that she was filing a lawsuit against her former business manager for not paying her insurance premiums causing a lapse in her health insurance and restricting her from medical care.

The lawsuit disclosed that Shannen Doherty discovered in March 2015 about her invasive breast cancer metastatic to one lymph node. The lawsuit mentioned that she was informed in 2014 that her cancer had spread.

Doherty was slowly recovering from her cancer in 2017 but she was again diagnosed with the disease in 2019. She was still undergoing treatment in 2021.

The 52-year-old is known for her role as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210, 90210, and BH90210.