Shannen Doherty had expressed feelings of hope amidst undergoing a new round of chemotherapy just weeks before her passing.
Doherty succumbed to her long battle with cancer, passing away on Saturday at the age of 53.
On the June 23 episode of her podcast, Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty, the actress provided an update on her health, discussing the mix of fear and hope she experienced. Doherty had been fighting stage 4 breast cancer, initially diagnosed in 2015. In a November cover story for People magazine, she disclosed that the cancer had metastasized to her bones.
“It becomes very real in an incredibly different way, because I have no idea how long I’m going to be on the chemo for,” she mentioned on her podcast. “I have no idea if it’s going to be, you know, three months or six months or if we’re going to change again if it’s not working after three months. That’s not something I can predict, and it’s not something my doctors can predict. And it’s scary. It’s like a big wake-up call.”
The Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed star continued, “At the same time, I have to say, there is some positivity there, and the positive is that because my cancer cells’ molecular structure changed recently, there are a lot more protocols for me to try. For the first time in a couple of months, I feel hopeful. Before, I was hopeful but still getting prepared.”
Facing “two different chemos within the same day,” Doherty acknowledged it was “a little scary” because she wasn’t sure how she would feel. She also shared, “This will be the third time I’ve lost my hair.”
“I feel like my life has been unknown for over a year now. Between divorce and cancer, it’s like I have no grasp on it. And I have no control… and with cancer, there really is no controlling it,” she expressed.
“I don’t want to lose my hair. I don’t want to be sick. I want to be a normal person,” she added. Doherty also mentioned contemplating “quality of life over quantity of life,” but said, “I know that my quality of life is being here longer. My quality of life is reaching my goals, staying with my family as long as I can, and advocating for the organizations I work closely with on finding cures and researching clinics … I am not someone who gives up easily. I just don’t want my illness to last very long.”
“In terms of health, you know, fingers crossed, I’m hoping for the best. I’m not going anywhere right now, and I have a lot of faith in the new researchers and my main doctor, who are helping me cope with all of this,” she said.
In the final episode of Let’s Be Clear, released on Monday, July 8, before her death, Doherty announced alongside her friend and former Charmed co-star Holly Marie Combs that she was joining the Charmed rewatch podcast The House of Halliwell, hosted by Combs, Brian Krause, and Drew Fuller. It is unclear how many episodes were recorded prior to Doherty’s passing.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease,” publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement to People over the weekend. “The devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”