'I learned a lot about myself': Shannen Doherty opens on the hardship she endured after cancer diagnosis

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Shannen Doherty has opened up about the struggles she went through amid her cancer journey. On Tuesday, December 5, the 52-year-old 'Beverly Hills, 90210' star got candid on the highs and lows she experienced after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 on her new podcast 'Let’s Be Clear with Shannen' where she included how she discovered her own “strength” to not back down from the fight. 

“I really learned a lot about myself,” said Doherty, People reports. “And I learned a lot about the people in my life. I learned about my own well of strength and being able to dig deep," she added. Doherty also went on to explain the numerous instances she felt she wasn’t able to pick herself up out of bed after particularly rough days with the disease and its treatment.

Shannen Doherty 'dropped down to 92 lbs' from chemo

“When I dropped down to 92 lbs. from chemo and was incredibly dehydrated, I had to still get out of bed,” she recalled, adding “My husband at the time, sort of begging me to keep going and my mom literally trying to pick me up out of bed and get me to the doctor… at that point in time I thought that I wouldn't survive it.” 

Shannen Doherty remained buoyant due to the kindness from her family and strangers

Doherty added that she ultimately remained resilient thanks to the “kindness” from her family and friends and strangers who “connected with her” and shared their own stories about their own cancer treatments. 

“To have that connection… It sort of wrapped me into this cocoon of safety, as cheesy as that may sound, as sappy as that may sound, it really did. It made me feel less ostracized from the world and like I was a part of something, which then started my feeling of deep, deep responsibility to share my story," said Doherty. 

The actress and cancer advocate said that through all of it, she was able to find her true purpose to “number one, help others going through what I was going through and number two, possibly speed up cancer research [and] possibly get more money behind it.”

Shannen Doherty went into remission in 2017

Doherty has long been open about her cancer journey. After her initial diagnosis, chemotherapy and surgery, she went into remission in 2017. By 2019, however, the cancer returned and she announced her diagnosis of metastatic stage 4 cancer the following year.

In June, she shared that the cancer had spread to her brain. At the time, she posted a video on Instagram of her undergoing radiation therapy.

Shannen Doherty revealed the cancer had spread to her bones

The 'Charmed' actress later disclosed to the outlet that the cancer had spread to her bones, but she was receiving treatment and hoped to get into clinical trials developing new treatments to treat metastatic breast cancer.

“I don’t want to die,” Doherty said at the time, adding “I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better. I’m just not — I’m not done.”