Shannen Doherty has revealed that her cancer has returned.

The actor, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and entered remission in 2017, told Good Morning America that she is still coming to terms with the return of the disease, which is now stage 4.

“I don’t think I’ve processed it,” she said. “It’s a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways.”

When Doherty, who is known for her roles in shows such as Charmed and Beverly Hills, 90210, was first diagnosed in 2015, she posted a series of six powerful black and white photographs on Instagram documenting the process of shaving her head.

Speaking about her latest diagnosis, Doherty said: “I definitely have days where I say, ‘Why me?’ And then I do, well, ‘Why not me? Who else? Who else besides me deserves this?’ None of us do.”

She had wanted to keep it private initially, in part, due to the death of her former costar Luke Perry, who died in March 2019, she said.

“It’s so weird for me to be diagnosed and then somebody who was, you know, seemingly healthy to go first,” she said. “It was really, like, shocking.”

Another reason, though, was because she wanted to prove she could still work despite having stage four cancer, she said, referencing her participation in the TV reboot of Beverly Hills, 90210, which aired last year on Fox to honour Perry.

“Our life doesn’t end the minute we get that diagnosis,” Doherty said. “We still have some living to do.”

There’s no denying that Doherty’s news is devastating, but her attitude to living her life to the fullest is inspirational.

Image: Getty