Shannen Doherty, 52, reveals stage four breast cancer has spread to her bones - but bravely says she is 'not done' living: 'I don't want to die'

Shannen Doherty has revealed that her stage four breast cancer has spread to her bones but has remained optimistic in the face of more adversity.

The 52-year-old actress - who was seen picking up Thanksgiving Day groceries with her mom last week - gave the tough health update on her eight-year battle with cancer in a new feature story published by People magazine on Wednesday.

However, the star remains positive despite this health setback as she bravely told the weekly: 'I don’t want to die.

'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 done.'

Shannen is continuing to seek treatment.

She said she hopes to inspire others with her cancer journey as she explained: 'When you ask yourself, "Why me? Why did I get cancer?" and then "Why did my cancer come back? Why am I stage 4?," that leads you to look for the bigger purpose in life.'

Now that the SAG-AFTRA strike has ended, her next goal is to prove that she still can act and continue on with her career despite her illness.

The former star of Beverly Hills, 90210 said: 'People just assume that it means you can’t walk, you can’t eat, you can’t work. They put you out to pasture at a very early age —"You’re done, you’re retired," and we’re not.

'We’re vibrant, and we have such a different outlook on life. We are people who want to work and embrace life and keep moving forward.'

In June, the Heathers star shared that her stage four breast cancer had spread to her brain.

She also revealed that five months prior to that she had undergone a surgery in order to remove a brain tumor which she humorously named 'Bob'.

Shannen told People: 'He had to get removed and dissected to see his pathology. It was definitely one of the scariest things I’ve ever been through in my entire life.'

The actress had a CT scan done on January 5 that revealed cancer cells had spread from their original site to her brain — known as 'brain metastases.'

Breast cancer is among those most likely to lead to brain metastases which could cause a tumor or tumors in the brain, as per the Mayo Clinic.

Shannen explained that she underwent her first round of radiation therapy on January 12 and that she's fearful despite having a 'great' medical team.

Included with her post was a heartbreaking clip of herself crying as she received the cancer treatment at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

'January 12, 2023,' began Shannen. 'On January 5th, my ct scan showed Mets in my brain.'

She then referenced a video clip shared Monday which showed her getting some sort of an MRI.

The star explained that it is part of the 'process of getting fitted for the mask which you wear during radiation to your brain.'

In the clip, she is seen lying down as doctors placed a blue mold over her face. They had her bite down to make sure it adhered to her mouth and chin.

Shannen began to cry as they held the edges of the mask down and pinned them to a board behind her head before moving her into the machine.

The actress continued Tuesday: 'January 12, the first round of radiation took place. My fear is obvious.'

Radiation treatment uses 'energy beams to destroy cancer cells' and it can 'target all or part of the brain, depending on a person’s diagnosis,' according to NYU Langone Health.

'I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life,' Shannen wrote. 'I am fortunate as I have great doctors like Dr Amin Mirahdi and the amazing techs at cedar sinai.

'But that fear…. The turmoil….. the timing of it all…. This is what cancer can look like,' the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum concluded. 

She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2015 that spread to her lymph nodes.

After undergoing a unilateral mastectomy and radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Shannen announced that her cancer was in remission in April 2017.

The actress then revealed in February 2020 that her cancer had returned and she was in stage four, before announcing June that it had spread to her brain and is terminal.

Shannen in April filed for divorce from her husband, Kurt Iswarienko, 49, after 11 years of marriage.

The official divorce paperwork obtained by TMZ revealed that the pair had been separated since January.

Shannen and Iswarienko exchanged vows and tied the knot in Malibu in October 2011.

Previously, she was married to actor Ashley Hamilton from 1993 to 1994, and her second marriage was with poker player Rick Salomon from 2002 to 2003.

Shannen portrayed Brenda Walsh in the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 from 1990 to 1994 and reprised the role for 90210 in 2008 and again in BH90210 in 2019.

She also is known for her portrayal of Prue Halliwell in the fantasy drama TV series Charmed.