Even when cancer is ultimately defeated, it is awful to witness a close friend or family member go through it.

Cancer, of course, has a terrible toll on individuals who must endure it, but less frequently discussed is the effect it has on the sufferer’s loved ones.

Fortunately, the majority of people are fortunate enough to benefit from having a supportive network of people to guide them through their toughest times as they cope with this awful illness.

It’s important to rely on one another, and the strength and support of a loved one may truly make a difference.

Shannen Doherty, a 52-year-old actress, revealed in June of this year that her stage 4 cancer had metastasized to her brain, sparking a worldwide outpouring of sympathy and sorrow from her followers.

The Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed star received her initial breast cancer diagnosis in 2015, but after receiving treatment, she entered remission two years later.

Tragically, Doherty revealed on Good Morning America in 2020 that she had stage 4 cancer, not just that it had returned.

“It’s going to come out in a matter of days or a week that I’m stage four,” she said. “So my cancer came back and that’s why I’m here.”

At the time, Doherty revealed that she had kept the news away from the public sphere for a year, admitting: “I don’t think I’ve processed it. It’s a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways.”

We can only imagine how tough that year must have been, but it is known that the actress primarily kept her terrible diagnosis to herself as she worked on a BH90210 revival.

Brian Austin Green, a co-star on Beverly Hills, 90210, was one of the few acquaintances in whom she confided.

“I had moments of great anxiety where I thought, ‘I can’t really do this,’ and Brian was the one person who – of that group of people that knew – that I told, like, pretty quickly and said, ‘Here, this is what I’m dealing with’,” she explained.

“So prior to shooting he would always call me and say, ‘Listen, you know, whatever happens, I have your back.’ He would look at me and be like, ‘We got this, kiddo’…so Brian helped me through a lot.”

Now, in an interview with the Herald Sun, Green has offered an update as to the condition of his close friend.

“We talk all the time,” he revealed. “She’s an incredibly tough person. If there’s anyone who could put up a real fight to cancer – she’s one of them.

“It’s not an easy situation, obviously, but I love her to death.

“And she’s making the absolute best of it.”

Doherty has, in fact, won a lot of admiration for the openness with which she has shared her battle with cancer. The actress has been very transparent with her followers, attempting to keep them informed at every turn.

Earlier this year in June, Doherty posted footage of her first radiotherapy treatment, explaining: “On January 5th, my CT scan showed Mets in my brain. Yesterday’s video was showing the process of getting fitted for the mask which you wear during radiation to your brain.

“The first round of radiation took place. My fear is obvious. I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life.

“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.”

Doherty has, in fact, won a lot of admiration for the openness with which she has shared her battle with cancer.

The actress has been very transparent with her followers, attempting to keep them informed at every turn.