Shannen Doherty Reveals the Fellow '90s Star Who Played a Key Role in Her Cancer Journey

The actor was instrumental in introducing Doherty to her now oncologist, who she liked because he wasn’t “scared” of her during their first meeting

Shannen Doherty opens up about how fellow ’90s star David Charvet helped her through her cancer journey.

In the latest episode of her podcast Let’s be clear with Shannen Dohertythe Beverly Hills, 90210 alum, 52, revealed that Charvet helped her find a new doctor when she started feeling “a little lost” after her 2015 breast cancer diagnosis.

“I definitely felt adrift, if you will, in my cancer journey and I knew something needed to change,” she said. “I just didn’t know how to change it.”

Doherty recalled what it was like previous Baywatch star, 51, introduced her to her now oncologist Dr. Lawrence Piro, who was her guest on the episode.

“Many patients feel like they don’t have the right to ask for a better doctor or to change doctors, or they fear that their insurance won’t cover the new doctor,” she explained. “I felt it for a second until I got a call from my friend Chris, who said he was good friends with our mutual friend, David.”

Shannen Doherty in Beverly Hills, California on September 6, 2019; David Charvet in Santa Monica, California on September 24, 2019.

Tibrina Hobson/WireImage; Presley Ann/Getty

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“And David really wanted to introduce me to that oncologist who he said saved his father’s cancer-stricken life and for whom he felt deeply, and that meeting happened when I met you,” said Pirou.

Piro said Charvet, whose ex-wife Brooke Burke was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2012, invited him to dinner to meet Doherty and see if they would make a “good team” for Enchanted alum treatment of cancer.

He said the couple took an instant liking to them, as they were both “not people who shuffle around”.

“We jumped right in and within five minutes we were pretty connected and pretty confident that we understood each other and were going to be a great team,” added Piro.

Dr. Lawrence Piro in Dallas on September 28, 2023.

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Doherty recalled how Piro wasted no time in helping her move forward on her cancer journey.

“You understand why I felt a little lost and you definitely had an opinion about what should change and what needs to be done immediately,” she said. “And I really respected the fact that you had a strong point of view and that you weren’t intimidated by who I was, but also, more importantly, my personality. You have just as big a personality as I do, so we really connected on that level.”

Doherty added that Piro insisted that she come to his clinic “immediately” for treatment.

“I felt like, ‘This is someone who’s going to be really attentive to my care,’ which was incredibly important to me,” she said. “And he understands that there’s nothing more important than me tackling this and getting better.”

Shannen Doherty in Beverly Hills, California on August 8, 2019.

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Doherty has long been open about her cancer journey. After her initial diagnosis, chemotherapy and surgery, she went into remission in 2017. By 2019, however, the cancer had returned — and she announced her diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic cancer the following year.

In July, heathers the actress said that the cancer had spread to her brain. Then she posted a video on Instagram of herself undergoing radiation therapy.

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A few months later, in a November cover interview with PEOPLE, Doherty revealed that the cancer had spread to her bones. But she was receiving treatment and hoped to enter clinical trials to develop new treatments for metastatic breast cancer.

“I don’t want to die,” she said then. “I’m not done with life. I’m not done with love. I’m not done creating. I’m not done hoping to change things for the better. I’m just not — I’m not done.”

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Source: HIS Education