Why Shannen Doherty Thought Her Procedures to Become Mom Contributed to Her Cancer

• Actress Shannen Doherty, after an 11-year marriage, split from Kurt Iswarienko in January 2023 amid her battle with stage four cancer.
• Doherty, who dreams of motherhood, believes her procedures to become a mom led to her having cancer.
• Today, the actress is open to love again after finding closure post-divorce. Her resilience and optimism fuel her journey forward, supported by family and inner strength.

Shannen Doherty tied the knot with Kurt Iswarienko in October 2011. After 11 years of marriage, Doherty and her husband broke up in January 2023. The two filed for divorce in April 2023, citing irreconcilable differences.

Throughout their marriage, the actress had hailed her ex as her source of strength and support. Iswarienko stood by the actress as she battled breast cancer. Doherty received a breast cancer diagnosis in February 2015. She recalled how she informed Iswarienko of her diagnosis during this tough time.

Doherty was with her mom when the doctor told her of the diagnosis. She was in the car and wanted to wait until she got home before she told him. However, Doherty couldn't wait, and she called Iswarienko and informed him of her cancer diagnosis.

Upon her arrival home, Iswarienko stood in the driveway, awaiting her return. He hugged her and told her that she was powerful, strong, and was going nowhere as they would get through the medical diagnosis together as a family.

Doherty went into remission in 2017 following her initial breast cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, in February 2020, she disclosed that her breast cancer had returned, and this time it was stage four cancer, shattering the hope built during her preceding years of health.

The illness coming back devastated the actress, who was hopeful that her treatment had helped her beat cancer and that she would enjoy a long future ahead.

Following her initial breast cancer diagnosis, the actress openly expressed her longing to become a mother. She said that after chemotherapy, maybe there was a chance that she would have kids. But, the actress, who was 45 years old then, was realistic, pointing out her age.

She confessed that she and Iswarienko had spoken about kids, but he had told her to focus on getting healthy, and if she were okay in the end, they would adopt. Doherty added that her ex said, "Maybe that's our destiny."

Today, having parted ways with Iswarienko, Doherty still dreams of becoming a mother. "I would love nothing more than to be a mom," she opened up. She recalled her struggle with in-vitro fertilization (IVF) prior to her first breast cancer diagnosis.

The actress chose to undergo IVF so that she could have kids with her husband. She speculated that the reason she got cancer was because she underwent IVF, which pumped hormones into her body and increased her chances of getting the illness.

However, this was a risk she was willing to take because she didn't just want a child for herself; she wanted one for her marriage and her husband. "I wanted him to have that part of himself fulfilled as well," she added.

Doherty and Iswarienko met later in life, so she needed a few rounds of IVF to have kids. The actress speculated that she got breast cancer from these procedures, since "a lot of other women that I knew that did IVF that ended up getting breast cancer as well." After successfully completing chemotherapy and entering remission, Doherty decided to forgo IVF due to her entry into menopause.

Today, the actress thinks of doing motherhood with a best friend or partner. She is still speculating on the idea but says any amount of time a child gets with a parent is better than nothing. As for now, the actress has her brother's seven kids and her best friend's children, whom she views as her own.

Doherty has also opened up about her split from Iswarienko. She noted that in January 2023, her doctors told her the cancer had spread to her brain. They said she needed surgery to remove a big tumor. This tumor would help doctors gain insight into her cancer's pathology so find the proper protocol for treatment.

Doherty was so scared as the surgery approached. She was sure she was going to die or would lose the ability to talk or walk. To top things off, before she went into surgery to remove the brain tumor, Doherty discovered her marriage was technically over, as her husband had been involved in a two-year affair.

Iswarienko still wanted to accompany the actress to the surgery, but she couldn't go knowing he was there. "I felt so betrayed. At the end of the day, I just felt so incredibly unloved by someone I was with for 14 years, by someone that you know I loved with all my heart," she lamented.

Doherty was glad that the people she loved, including her mother, other family members, and friends, accompanied her to the surgery. Her heart was broken, and the surgery didn't remove all the tumors in her brain, but it went well. The actress underwent brain radiation to remove the rest of the brain tumor.

Doherty was lucky she didn't lose any of her abilities after the medical procedure and radiation. She came out well; she lived and was happy to wake up to see her mom and other loved ones.

After splitting with her husband, Doherty said she went through periods of feeling depressed. Things were not easy or smooth for her. It was challenging for her to find herself single in her 50s while battling stage four cancer. The period was super depressing, but eventually, she turned a corner.

A few days before Thanksgiving in 2023, Doherty told People that she was ready to find love again. "I was not ready at all before three weeks ago," she confessed. The actress hinted that something had happened, such as her ex telling her one thing, which made her know she had closure and could move on in a healthy manner.

The actress revealed that she has a male best friend, whom she jokes with about how they're married. Still, she doesn't know if her love will come from that or if she will stumble upon someone and have an instant connection.

Doherty is open to all possibilities, a state that she wasn't in before. She understands that she has to love herself and reckon with the past before she can move forward. "I don't think I'm going to be single forever ... I'm pretty sure I'll meet somebody — hopefully soon," she proclaimed.

Despite the difficulties Doherty has faced in life, she is optimistic about the future. The actress finds the will to steer on from her inner strength and the support she gets from her family and loved ones.