She had been in remission for nearly three years when she received the harrowing news.
“I don’t think I’ve processed it. It’s a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways,” she said on Good Morning America in 2020 while revealing her diagnosis.
She realized it had returned when she began feeling some “odd aches.”
Her condition worsened at the beginning of 2023, when the cancer spread to her brain.
She shared an intimate video on Instagram on June 6, giving a look at the process of receiving radiation treatment.
She received her first round of radiation on January 12, which was featured in the clip.
“My fear is obvious. I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life,” she wrote in the caption.
Shannen continued, “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.”
On the same month as the Instagram post, Shannen gave another update on the social media platform: she had surgery on Jan. 16 to remove the tumor.
She shared a video of herself being prepped for surgery, in which she appeared to be in good spirits.
Shannen got candid in the caption, admitting that she was “clearly trying to be brave” but felt “petrified.”
“The fear was overwhelming to me. Scared of all possible bad outcomes, worried about leaving my mom and how that would impact her. Worried that I would come out of surgery not me anymore.”
The surgery proved to be successful.
Shannen joined her Beverly Hills, 90210 castmates at ’90s Con in Sept., where fans gave the actress a standing ovation.
“Thank you so much,” she said while wiping tears from her eyes. “You guys know how much I love crying constantly. And I do, it seems. So, thank you.”
“I have a fight for my life, that I deal with every day. I think I am really great,” she told the crowd.
Two months later, Shannen shared a heartbreaking health update.
In an interview with People Magazine published on Nov. 29, she revealed her breast cancer spread to her bones.
“I don’t want to die.”
She has a deep appreciation for her life and doesn’t want to slow down her career anytime soon.
“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 not done.”
Her latest cancer diagnosis changed her outlook on life.
“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,” she said.
Shannen has been connecting with her spirituality.
“I pray. I wake up and go to bed thanking God, praying for the things that matter to me without asking for too much. It connects me to a higher power and spirituality. My faith is my mantra,” she said.
She’s keeping an optimistic outlook.
“I know it sounds cheesy and crazy, but you’re just more aware of everything, and you feel so blessed. We’re the people who want to work the most, because we’re just so grateful for every second, every hour, every day we get to be here,” she said.
“My greatest memory is yet to come.”
Shannen is currently hoping to be selected for clinical trials as new treatment options are developed.
She is driven by her desire to continue acting.
“People just assume that [having cancer] 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,” she said.
“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.”
She’s also focused on spending time with friends, family, and her dog Bowie.
Next month, Shannen is launching her podcast, Let’s Be Clear.
It’s produced by iHeartRadio and will premiere on Dec. 6.
In the podcast, Shannen “will open up like never before in a live memoir.”
Fans can expect to learn a lot about Shannen’s career and private life on Let’s Be Clear.
It’ll “cover everything from her TV and film credits, to her Stage IV cancer battle, friendships, divorces and more.” Shannen will also “share her own personal stories, how she manages the lows all while celebrating the highs, and her hopes and dreams for the future.”