Shannen Doherty Has Breast Cancer

[Deleted]

I'm now scared to look at that video's comments.

Glad to see that she's thinking positive about this, even if it's already affecting her career.  (Which already wasn't doing so hot in the first place... Since Charmed, it's been almost nothing but bad reality shows and terrible TV movies for her.)

[Deleted]

I'm now scared to look at that video's comments.

YouTube should really disable that feature.  It's become a home for trolls and other horrible people.

[Granny Charmed]

Any updates dears on Shannen. Is she doing okay?

[Deleted]

Apparently, she lost a round in court back in March:

Shannen Doherty lost a round in court today when a judge declined to take punitive actions against her former business management firm over allegedly deceptive phone calls used to seek medical information about the actress.

The 44-year-old former “Beverly Hills, 90210” co-star sued Tanner, Mainstain, Glynn & Johnson and Steven Blatt last August, alleging they failed to pay her medical insurance premiums. Doherty says she was diagnosed with breast cancer and that it metastasized while she was not insured and therefore unable to regularly see a doctor.

Blatt allegedly worked on Doherty’s account, but did not make either of the phone calls at issue.

Read more here.

Sounds like she might have a tough legal battle ahead of her in addition to her cancer battle.  My thoughts go out to her.

[Deleted]

Poor Shannen.  She does not need this, not now.

[meganhalliwell]

I literally was not even so worried until I red the comments on here. I had no idea how serious it actually was. ?

[cyma]

From Tumblr:

Be sure to send your best wishes and prayers to Shannen Doherty! She posted pictures of her cutting/shaving her hair to start, what I’m assuming is for, chemotherapy.

www.instagram.com/theshando/

charmedxconfessions.tumblr.com/

[Deleted]

She looks lovely. I hope the treatment is as effective as possible for her.

[Deleted]

My thoughts go out to Shannen Doherty.  I hope she beats this horrible disease.

[charmedagain4]

I think that you all may know about Shannen being diagnosed with breast cancer. But if you don't know, then here you go. It is truly sad and I think that everyone in this forum and of the Charmed community should join together in supporting her. We need to blow up her twitter showing our support! She has now shaved her head in preparations for the chemo. She is trending on Facebook, which actually is late because the media doesn't seem to acknowledge people that are dealing with important issues anymore. All that we have on the media now is about the election, the Kardashians, rappers, singers, and other things that are not as important as real issues in life are.

But I'm not saying that we single out Shannen Doherty's battle with breast cancer nor single out people who only deal with breast cancer. Something that I have noticed is there aren't as many fundraisers and support for other life-threatening cancers like people do for breast cancer. Breast cancer, lung cancer, Leukemia, prostate cancer, and many other cancers are all important. I believe we should all commend people that have survived cancer and show our respects for those who lost their battle with cancer, but God won the war by receiving them into his kingdom.

Can we all please come together and show our support to everyone who has battled with cancer?

[Deleted]

The cancer has spread to Shannen's lymph nodes.

This is starting to look very bad.

[ShadowCat]

Yes it is. What I am confused about is why she waited so long for treatment. I am not so sure I should bring this to the table, but I will mention it once and never again. I was homeless in Marin County from 2003 to 2006. I was living in my car and going to school for computers. I discovered a large lump in my lower right abdomen. I thought is was an intestinal blockage. I would go to movie theaters and when the ladies room was empty I would give myself anema. It didn't help. When I finally couldn't get around much I went to Marin General. I waited so long as I thought that as a homeless person I wouldn't be able to get help.

At Marin Gerneal a nurse came to see me after test resutls and said, "I'm so sorry". I knew what that meant. I'm dead! They gave me a doctors name at Mt. Zion Hospital in Fan Francisco. I went and was there for over two weeks. I had a 5 hour surgery done by an amazing team from all walks of the world. Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Caucasian. I was flown back to the east coast where I had 3 rounds of chemo followed by 6 weeks of radiation and the another 3 rounds of chemo. All I kept thinking was, I'll be dead in a year as the tumer was so large I looked like I was 5 months pregnant. Well, that was 10 years ago this month.

I love Shannen and I want the best for her. I do wish with or without insurance she had acted faster. Regardless of insurance they have to treat her. She is Shannen Doherty. Tell them to bill you. If this moves south than planned, get to Mt. Zion and ask for Dr. Bethany Powell. Love ShadowCat.

[Deleted]

Aug 2, 2016 18:17:54 GMT -5 ShadowCat said:

Yes it is. What I am confused about is why she waited so long for treatment. I am not so sure I should bring this to the table, but I will mention it once and never again. I was homeless in Marin County from 2003 to 2006. I was living in my car and going to school for computers. I discovered a large lump in my lower right abdomen. I thought is was an intestinal blockage. I would go to movie theaters and when the ladies room was empty I would give myself anema. It didn't help. When I finally couldn't get around much I went to Marin General. I waited so long as I thought that as a homeless person I wouldn't be able to get help.

At Marin Gerneal a nurse came to see me after test resutls and said, "I'm so sorry". I knew what that meant. I'm dead! They gave me a doctors name at Mt. Zion Hospital in Fan Francisco. I went and was there for over two weeks. I had a 5 hour surgery done by an amazing team from all walks of the world. Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Caucasian. I was flown back to the east coast where I had 3 rounds of chemo followed by 6 weeks of radiation and the another 3 rounds of chemo. All I kept thinking was, I'll be dead in a year as the tumer was so large I looked like I was 5 months pregnant. Well, that was 10 years ago this month.

I love Shannen and I want the best for her. I do wish with or without insurance she had acted faster. Regardless of insurance they have to treat her. She is Shannen Doherty. Tell them to bill you. If this moves south than planned, get to Mt. Zion and ask for Dr. Bethany Powell. Love ShadowCat.

Amazing story, ShadowCat.   Even with a grim prognosis, cancer still isn't always an automatic death sentence, and it IS possible to beat the odds.  You're living proof of that.

As for Shannen, it's possible that she didn't see herself as someone at risk for breast cancer.  She's only 45, and it's a disease more associated with women in their 50s or older.  Plus, if she did ever think about being at risk for cancer, it was probably lung or throat cancer that was on her mind.  She has a history of being an extremely heavy smoker, and those are the diseases most commonly associated with cigarettes.

However, contrary to popular belief, breast cancer IS something you can get from heavy smoking:

Study Links Smoking to Breast Cancer Risk

Article date: February 28, 2013

By Stacy Simon

Researchers at the American Cancer Society have found an increased breast cancer risk among women who smoke, especially those who start smoking before they have their first child.

Although previous studies have looked at the possible relationship between breast cancer and smoking, they have not settled the controversy within the scientific community. Part of the reason is that while many studies have found a slight increase in risk overall, they have not found that smoking more cigarettes per day or smoking for more years increases the risk further, which is what might be expected.

In addition, findings about alcohol have complicated many of these studies. This is because alcohol is a known risk factor for breast cancer, and women who smoke are also more likely to drink alcohol. (The link between alcohol and breast cancer is one of the reasons the American Cancer Society recommends that women who drink limit themselves to no more than 1 drink per day.)

In the new study, published online February 28, 2013 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, researchers analyzed data from 73,388 women in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS-II) Nutrition Cohort. A cohort is a study that follows a large group of people over time. During more than 13 years of follow-up, researchers counted 3,721 cases of invasive breast cancer. The rate of new cases was 24% higher in smokers than in nonsmokers and 13% higher in former smokers than in nonsmokers.

When the researchers looked specifically at risk based on alcohol status, they found that the increased risk in smokers was limited to current or former alcohol drinkers, and was not seen in those who never drank.

Risk increases more when smoking starts early

The risk of invasive breast cancer was highest in women who began smoking at an earlier age. When compared to women who never smoked, those who started smoking before their first menstrual cycle had a 61% higher risk, while those who started smoking after their first cycle, but 11 or more years before having a child, had a 45% higher risk.

The researchers also found that these results were supported by the findings of earlier cohort studies. When combining the results of 9 studies (including this one), they found a 12% increase in breast cancer risk among women who started smoking at a younger age, and a 21% increase in risk among women who started before the birth of their first child.

Mia Gaudet, PhD, American Cancer Society director of genetic epidemiology, said breast tissue is not fully developed until after a woman has her first child, and that makes it more sensitive to the harmful effects of tobacco.

Gaudet said, “The key message from this study should be additional motivation to young women to not start smoking.”

“From a biological standpoint, what is really intriguing is that early life exposures are important,” said Gaudet. “In the Cancer Prevention Study-3 we are recruiting younger women, which will allow us to further examine risk factors at an earlier age.”

Shannen ticks off all of the big risk factors listed in that article.  We know that she's been smoking since at least her early 20s, and she's never had children.  She's also only in her 40s, so still premenopausal.  And, she's also continued to smoke up until very recently.  This is why cigarettes are evil.

[Deleted]

Yes it is. What I am confused about is why she waited so long for treatment. I am not so sure I should bring this to the table, but I will mention it once and never again. I was homeless in Marin County from 2003 to 2006. I was living in my car and going to school for computers. I discovered a large lump in my lower right abdomen. I thought is was an intestinal blockage. I would go to movie theaters and when the ladies room was empty I would give myself anema. It didn't help. When I finally couldn't get around much I went to Marin General. I waited so long as I thought that as a homeless person I wouldn't be able to get help.

At Marin Gerneal a nurse came to see me after test resutls and said, "I'm so sorry". I knew what that meant. I'm dead! They gave me a doctors name at Mt. Zion Hospital in Fan Francisco. I went and was there for over two weeks. I had a 5 hour surgery done by an amazing team from all walks of the world. Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Caucasian. I was flown back to the east coast where I had 3 rounds of chemo followed by 6 weeks of radiation and the another 3 rounds of chemo. All I kept thinking was, I'll be dead in a year as the tumer was so large I looked like I was 5 months pregnant. Well, that was 10 years ago this month.

I'm glad you made it, ShadowCat.  I can't imagine what it must have been like. 

As for Shannen, let's hope she has the same luck you did.

[adzpower]

Praying and hoping that Shannen gets through this. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch the show again if she doesn't. Still, I'll stop being so negative, so it spread? At this point it just means they need to be more aggressive, it's still beatable. I know it. Cancer is horrific, but its not an automatic death sentence. A lot of people go on to actually live with the disease for years and years. My grandfather for instance, had oral cancer, he was diagnosed in 1989, didn't actually pass away until 1997, and the treatment will have gotten much better since then, especially if you can afford it which I have no doubt Shannen can.

[Melinda Halliwell]

Yeah my aunt had stomach cancer 3 times before she went god rest her and still kept fighting the whole time anyway.

[Deleted]

It really is a vile disease, isn't it.

My uncle, my mother's younger brother, died of it in 1991. He left behind a wife and two sons.

My mother and grandmother both outlived him (both are deceased now).

[ShadowCat]

First to Rex&Hannah1 - Thank you. As for me I am rather surprised I did see another 10 years. Chemo really was not that bad, but like Shannen I had my head shaved. They told me that my hair would come out in hunks. It did not, but everytime I brushed it I was shedding worse than the cats so I just got rid of all of it and got a wig. The Chemo for some reason gave me energy and I felt great, but like Shannen said you do make a mad dash to the potty room. Radiation was awful and zaps you totally. Sadly we still have no cure, but at least the treatments have advanced.

To Bettynewbie - Thank you for all of the info. I didn't connect smoking with breast cancer. I suspect most people don't so that's good intell. I had to wonder if some of the stunts she had to do on Charmed could also be a factor. Ladies really should not be slammed around like that. I had a lump removed (non cancer) in my late 20's and my doctor asked me if I had suffered any trauma. The problem is that there are too many variables when it comes to this disease. That could be one of the reason's they can't come up with a cure. Lets face it, most of us have a few bad habits sitting on a shelf or hidding in a closet.

To all the other posters who have been through this or have lost someone, my prayers go out to you.

[Deleted]

Aug 3, 2016 12:22:19 GMT -5 ShadowCat said:

To Bettynewbie - Thank you for all of the info. I didn't connect smoking with breast cancer. I suspect most people don't so that's good intell. I had to wonder if some of the stunts she had to do on Charmed could also be a factor. Ladies really should not be slammed around like that. I had a lump removed (non cancer) in my late 20's and my doctor asked me if I had suffered any trauma. The problem is that there are too many variables when it comes to this disease. That could be one of the reason's they can't come up with a cure. Lets face it, most of us have a few bad habits sitting on a shelf or hidding in a closet. 

"Ladies really should not be slammed around like that." -- What is this, 1956?

And, I doubt that was the case.  Most of the stunts were done by stunt doubles, which is the norm.  Letting actors do their own stunts is too much of a liability for the producers.

[ShadowCat]

Aug 3, 2016 14:15:53 GMT -5 @bettynewbie said:

Aug 3, 2016 12:22:19 GMT -5 ShadowCat said:

To Bettynewbie - Thank you for all of the info. I didn't connect smoking with breast cancer. I suspect most people don't so that's good intell. I had to wonder if some of the stunts she had to do on Charmed could also be a factor. Ladies really should not be slammed around like that. I had a lump removed (non cancer) in my late 20's and my doctor asked me if I had suffered any trauma. The problem is that there are too many variables when it comes to this disease. That could be one of the reason's they can't come up with a cure. Lets face it, most of us have a few bad habits sitting on a shelf or hidding in a closet. 

"Ladies really should not be slammed around like that." -- What is this, 1956?

And, I doubt that was the case.  Most of the stunts were done by stunt doubles, which is the norm.  Letting actors do their own stunts is too much of a liability for the producers.

I'm sorry if I came off sounding rather stupid, but I read that Shannen said she did most of her own stunts on Charmed. I would put up the link here but I don't know if I am allowed to do that. My doctor said that I could have suffered a blow to my breast and not ever paid attention to it. I had a Bio professor that told a class full of girls going into the medical field warn us about jogging. Not sporting the proper support could cause the breast tissue harm. If she did have an injury and like me she didn't pay much attention to it, and along with all the other reasons for getting that type of cancer I just wondered. Oh and thank you, I do fondly recall 1956. Regardless of the nuns, first grade was fun. LOL