Shannen Doherty cancer: how long has Charmed star battled with illness as she says it has spread

90210 actress Shannen Doherty has revealed in an Instagram video that her terminal breast cancer has spread to her brain. The video shows the actress, who is also known for her roles in Little House on the Prairie, Charmed and Beverly Hills, receiving radiation treatment for her cancer which was taken in January.

The 52-year-old actress revealed in the caption that the CT scan had shown she has metastases on her brain. Brain metastases or mets occur when cancer cells break away from their original location. 

She wrote: “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. But that fear…. The turmoil….. the timing of it all…. This is what cancer can look like.”

But, just how long has Doherty been battling with cancer and what else has she said about her health? Here’s what you need to know.

When was Shannen Doherty first diagnosed with cancer?

Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and had a mastectomy and did chemotherapy and radiation as part of her treatment. She revealed in 2017 that she was in remission, but then three years later she announced that she had been diagnosed with terminal stage four breast cancer. 

The actress has posted about her illness on her social media pages, including her live Instagram account and dormant Twitter account, over the years. She has posted photos of herself with no hair and has also written about the effects of the disease and treatment, including nose bleeds and extreme fatigue, in an effort to help other people understand the reality of cancer and keep a check on their own health. 

In one post in October 2021, to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she wrote: “Is it all pretty? NO but it’s truthful and my hope in sharing is that we all become more educated, more familiar with what cancer looks like. I hope I encourage people to get mammograms, to get regular checkups, to cut thru the fear and face whatever might be in front of you.”

In another post from October 2017, she wrote: "Cancer has so many moments of deep realization. Realizing you have cancer, realizing it’s not a simple fix, realizing it’s altering you in both superficial ways and deeply profound ways, realizing you are changed forever."

Does Shannen Doherty have a husband?

Shannen Doherty was married to her husband, photographer Kurt Iswarienko, for 11 years but it was reported by American news outlet TMZ in April that she has filed for divorce from him. The publication said that the former couple, who married in October 2011, had separated in January.

Leslie Sloane, who is representing Doherty, told TMZ: "Divorce is the last thing Shannen wanted. Unfortunately, she felt she was left with no other option”. There are rumours that Iswarienko cheated on Doherty during their marriage, with Sloane also telling TMZ “you can contact Kurt's agent, Collier Grimm at PICTUREKID as she is intimately involved.”

Doherty was also previously married to actor and comedian Ashley Hamilton from 1993 to 1994 and to poker player Rick Salomon from 2002 to 2003.

Does Shannen Doherty have children?

Doherty does not have any children.