Shannen Doherty Shares Cancer Has Spread to Her Bones: 'I Don't Want to Die'

Shannen Doherty is sharing a devastating update about her battle with cancer. The 52-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210 actress, who announced in February 2020 that she was diagnosed with metastatic stage 4 breast cancer, revealed to PEOPLE in an article published Nov. 29 that her cancer has spread to her bones. Doherty previously shared in June that it had metastasized to her brain.

"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-I'm not done," she told the outlet before opening up about how her diagnosis has impacted her 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."

Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2015, but after treatments and surgery, she announced in 2017 that her cancer was in remission. But in February 2020, the Charmed star revealed that her cancer had returned in 2019 and was categorized as metastatic stage 4 cancer. Earlier this year, she shared that she underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, saying that "it was definitely one of the scariest things I've ever been through in my entire life."

Doherty shared that she is currently hoping to get into clinical trials as new treatments are developed, adding that despite her diagnosis, she has remained motivated by her drive to work again. The actress noted, "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.' 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."

Throughout her battle, Doherty said she is choosing to remain optimistic, telling PEOPLE, "my greatest memory is yet to come. 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 that while it sounds "sounds cheesy and crazy... 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."