The actress Shannen Doherty has been open about her cancer diagnosis and treatment, but she is now sharing some incredibly distressing information. In sharing the news, she wrote on Instagram, “January 5th, my ct scan showed Mets in my brain.”

Her brain cancer is now being treated with radiation therapy. She had her first radiation treatment on January 12th. She said, “It’s clear that I’m afraid. “My life was quite busy because I have severe claustrophobia,” she said.

Doherty wrote in a letter that she was grateful for her doctors despite going through a stressful time, writing, “I am fortunate as I have fantastic doctors like Dr. Amin Mirahdi and the amazing technologists at Cedar Sinai.”

But that anxiety, that instability, and that timing may be what cancer looks like. She uploaded a video of herself receiving radiation along with the message, showing no effort to hide her dread in the moment.

Doherty was initially diagnosed with cancer back in 2015. Her diagnosis was breast cancer with metastatic spread. Doherty underwent radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and a single mastectomy before achieving remission in 2017.

In 2017, Doherty and Chelsea Handler spoke about her battle with breast cancer. To hear what she had to say, watch the video below.

Doherty’s illness came back in 2019, but she held off on telling anyone. In 2020, Doherty revealed to the world that her breast cancer had reached stage 4. The finding that Doherty’s cancer has spread to her brain has dramatically worsened her health, and this time neither her husband nor family are providing for her.

Three months after learning she had brain cancer and beginning treatment, Doherty revealed in April 2023 that she was divorcing Kurt Iswarienko, the man she had been married to for 11 years. Apparently, he was “intimately involved” with his PR.

After finding out about her cancer diagnosis, many of her well-known friends left comments on her Instagram post. Kevin Smith remarked, “Rooting for you, my irreplaceable friend.” You’ve always been such a courageous fighter, so it seems sense that you become scared now and then. But once those moments are through, let the unshakable Doherty spirit once more rule.

“This is a lot,” Selma Blair wrote. “Once more, there’s a lot going on here. And I’m hoping that all the knowledge of wise peace will come to you at your darkest moments. to know you’re in good hands. Love is everything.