After Shannen Doherty's cancer death - Your doctor speaks about your last hours
Beverly Hills, 90210" actress Shannen Doherty (1971-2024) lost her battle against her cancer on July 13. Her long-time oncologist, Dr. Lawrence D. Piro, spoke to People about the last moments in the life of the Hollywood star.
According to him, Doherty "was not ready to go, because she loved life." But her fight against cancer "had become much harder in the last few weeks." The actress, who was 53 when she passed away, called her doctor a "remarkable fighter" alongside her.
Shannen Doherty: Optimistic and Fighter Till the End
Doherty, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, described her doctor Dr. Piro as "a very intelligent person" who "actively participated in her entire health journey." "She wanted to live every day, not as if it were her last day, but as if it were the beginning of a new chapter for her," the oncologist explained, adding: "In her mind, she didn't want to consider any other alternative than 'we're going to beat this.'"
Significant Deterioration
However, unfortunately, a significant deterioration in her health condition had set in, according to her doctor. Doherty was "present during this realization." The doctor and his famous patient had spoken about "love, support, and caregiving." They had also discussed "continuing the fight."
Doherty had wanted to continue her treatment at that point. Despite only "limited possibilities" for treatment, a continuation of the struggle "was not even under discussion," according to Dr. Piro. "Shannen did not live. She was an incredible fighter in everything she did."
Shannen Doherty Died Surrounded by Good Friends
In her last hours on earth, Doherty was then at a place "where she felt very comfortable, slept, and made the transition." She was "surrounded by a carefully selected group of friends" who "gave her a lot of care and support," according to Dr. Piro. "It was dark and sad, yet wondrous and loving. The hardest part was that she wasn't ready to go, because she loved life."
Doherty praised her doctor Dr. Piro in 2016. In an Instagram post, she declared that she had "an extraordinary relationship with him, marked by mutual respect." "The most important thing is to find a doctor who listens to you," she wrote in the social network at the time. The collaboration was her "dream team."
Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time in 2015. Between then and now, she was considered cancer-free, but the cancer returned in the fourth stage in 2017. In 2020, she spoke about her breast cancer being advanced and incurable. In June 2023, she announced that she had metastases in her brain. At the end of 2023, she revealed that her bones were also affected by the cancer.
Shannen Doherty's battle with cancer was a tough one, even among the stars of Beverly Hills. Her long-time doctor, Dr. Piro, shared that her love for life never wavered, even as her fight against cancer grew more challenging in the last few weeks. Doherty once praised Dr. Piro on Instagram, calling their relationship extraordinary and marking it with mutual respect. Despite being diagnosed with advanced and incurable breast cancer in 2017, and later discovering metastases in her brain and bones, Doherty continued to fight until her last days, surrounded by her closest friends in Beverly Hills.
