Shannen Doherty firmly believes science can help her defeat cancer, but for her mother's sake ... she's still preparing for death by getting rid of her material possessions.
The "Beverly Hills, 90210" actress shared the revelation on Monday's episode of her 'Let's Be Clear' podcast ... where she detailed cleaning out her storage unit after realizing her personal items were a burden to her loved ones.
As SD put it ... she is prioritizing her mother Rosa's needs during this time -- wanting to leave little behind for her to deal with in the event she loses her fight with stage 4 cancer.
She added ... "Because it's going to be so hard on her, I want other things to be a lot easier. I don't want her to have a bunch of stuff to deal with. I don't want her to have four storage units filled with furniture."
Shannen plans to sell the items from her storage unit -- which includes an extensive antique collection -- and hopes to use the money to travel with her mom. However, she will not dip into her savings to fund these trips, as she wants to leave her loved ones taken care of in the event of her passing.
Remember, Shannen first shared her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 before seeking treatment and going into remission. Yet, last year she announced the cancer had returned at Stage 4, and had spread to her bones.
Shannen has remained optimistic amid her health struggles, sharing in January she had undergone a "miracle" new treatment.