Shannen Doherty Finishing Radiation, Hoping To Be Cancer Free For New Year
Shannen Doherty is hoping her most recent radiation was her last and she will be declared cancer free in order to begin breast reconstruction. Doherty posted on her Twitter account on Wednesday that she was doubling up on her radiation in an effort to finish that course of her breast cancer treatment.
Meanwhile….. gonna do a double up day of radiation so I get completely finished this week!!
— Shannen Doherty (@DohertyShannen) January 4, 2017
Completion of radiation would mean Doherty could turn her focus from fighting breast cancer to healing from it by reconstructing the breast Shannen had removed last spring. Doherty explained the process to a fan who asked Shannen what the next step was.
@Carlychristina8 wait for radiation to leave body, get tested and hope we got it all. After that, I start the road to reconstruction.
— Shannen Doherty (@DohertyShannen) January 4, 2017
Shannen has been undergoing radiation for nearly two months. Doherty will more than likely have to wait several weeks to several months for her breast construction to take place. However, as her oncology team determines whether or not they have gotten all of the cancer. Depending on the type of radiation Shannen has been having, according to the American Cancer Society, Doherty’s oncologist will more than likely perform a PET scan to check for any signs of cancer left. Because radiation causes what are called “hot spots” on this particular test, Shannen will have to sit back and wait for the radioactive cells to clear out in order to get an accurate reading.
Shannen Doherty revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in August of 2015 after news sources obtained a copy of a lawsuit Shannen had filed against her former business manager. Doherty’s lawsuit accused her business manager of failing to pay her health insurance premiums which resulted in a delay in Shannen having preventative care, including a mammogram. Shannen and her former business manager eventually reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount last summer.
Soon after Shannen came forward with the news of her breast cancer battle, Doherty began to realize the impact her vulnerability of admitting her fear and distress was having on others who were going through the same thing. Normally a very private person in regard to her personal life, Shannen began to document her breast cancer journey on social media as a means of helping not only her cope but encouraging others.
Shannen regularly included pictures of the transformation of her body, including the loss of her trademark jet black hair, as well as the emotional roller coaster of going through chemotherapy and radiation and all other facets of her cancer fight.
Doherty also used her social media to help educate others in regard to what treatment looked like. In one post, Shannen discussed an encounter with someone on an elevator who appeared terrified when they found out Doherty had just had a radiation treatment. Shannen took the time to let everyone know that didn’t mean she was radioactive and didn’t pose a health risk to others.
Shannen revealed that after discovering her cancer had spread beyond the breast to the lymph nodes that she underwent a single mastectomy mid-2016 according to Entertainment Tonight. Because of the surgery to remove her breast, Doherty knew that she eventually wanted to have it reconstructed and in November shared a short video on Instagram as to what that process entails.
Shannen Doherty’s candor and bravery throughout the process of fighting breast cancer has brought her accolades from fellow actors and actresses including Ashton Kutcher, former Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano, and former Beverly Hills 90210 co-stars Jennie Garth, Jason Priestley, and Luke Perry.
If 2016 will be remembered as the year of celebrity deaths, perhaps Shannen Doherty’s completion of cancer treatment will help us remember 2017 as the year of celebrity survivors.
[Featured Image by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.]
