“Stealing this look for the next month,” Shannen Doherty, who is living with stage 4 breast cancer, writes on Instagram, “Peace out.”
The “look”? A woman on a train wears a face mask, dishwashing gloves, and is covered head-to-toe in a plastic dry-cleaning bag. A plastic water jug protects her face from germs.
Read MoreShannen Doherty’s Approach to Remain Safe During COVID-19 Pandemic
The photo drew LOLs from many, but cancer survivors and healthcare workers understood her concern: Like all patients undergoing cancer treatment, the former “Beverly Hills 90210” star faces an increased risk of infection due to immune compromises. RELATED: 'We Only Die Once. We Live Every Day!' Shannen Doherty's Inspiring Post, and Living with Gratitude After a Cancer DiagnosisIn recent weeks, Doherty has re-focused on healthy cooking, exercise, and friendships. "After a year of dealing with cancer coming back and other stresses, I'm back at it,” she shared on Instagram after a workout. “Taking care of myself and embracing every day." But like other cancer survivors, news of the outbreak has put her on high alert.
Public health expert, Dr. Waleed Javaid, of Mount Sinai, provide facts on the conronavirus and how it spreads.
“I’ve got stage 4 breast cancer as well. I’m stealing it, too!” one responded.
“Same! with my neutrophils at 0.8 from Chemo I’m in the high-risk category ????” another wrote.
“Hi Shannen, I work in a ER in hospital … and best thing for anyone who has a compromised immune system really needs to stay away from crowds,” another fan wrote, “just letting you know because I want you to be healthy, plus it's a lot worse than what hearing, trust me I know, there's more people testing positive than they are saying. I been seeing it for the last three weeks. Just take care of yourself”
Another responded from Italy: “The only way to fight and to win coronavirus is to STAY AT HOME. Remember this always since right now. (I am at home watching Charmed â¤ï¸)”
Shannen Doherty’s Cancer Journey
In 2015, Doherty found a lump in her breast that a biopsy determined was cancerous. She initially tried to fight the disease through hormone therapy, but due to the cancer spreading to her lymph nodes, it was ineffective. A year after her diagnosis, she had a single mastectomy and underwent courses of chemotherapy and radiation followed by reconstructive surgery. In 2017, the star announced that she was cancer-free.
But on March 4, she shared her updated diagnosis — stage 4 breast cancer — in an emotional interview with Amy Robach, who is also a breast cancer survivor, on "Good Morning America". "It's a bitter pill to swallow in a lot of ways," she said at the time. With the support of friends, she’s reclaimed her life in recent weeks.
Hormone Therapies for Breast Cancer: CDK 4/6 Inhibitors
While we don’t know the specifics of Doherty’s breast cancer, or her treatment plan, experts say a new class of targeted therapy drugs called kinase inhibitors can now help treat some metastatic breast cancers.
Dr. Erica Mayer of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation that these drugs target two kinase proteins, called cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6, that normally regulate the cell cycle and division.
Dr. Erica Mayer explains hormone therapy options available for breast cancer patients
These drugs are primarily used in women with hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer. When they are combined with other hormone therapy, many women can have up to two years of their cancer not getting any worse. A common side effect was a decrease in white blood cells which can increase the risk of infection.
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