Nicole Eggert reveals mastectomy, reconstruction after cancer diagnosis

“Baywatch” star Nicole Eggert shared an update as she continues to battle a rare form of breast cancer. 

On Wednesday, the 53-year-old actress, who was diagnosed with stage II cribriform carcinoma breast cancer in December 2023, revealed on Instagram that she underwent surgery last Thursday.

“Had a mastectomy with reconstruction on Thursday. How was ur weekend?” Eggert wrote in the caption of her post, adding the hashtags #breastcancer #breastcancerawarness #feelyourselfup and tagging the Instagram page for Dr. Kyle Song of South Coast Plastic Surgery. 

Eggert’s former “Baywatch” co-stars and other celebrity friends and fans quickly flocked to the comments section to express their support. 

“Damn, Nicole. You are fierce,” Erika Eleniak wrote along with red heart emojis.

“You look great!!! Warrior Woman!” Gena Lee Nolin commented. 

“You look like a tough a– action hero in this photo!” Brande Roderick added. 

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“Sending love fierce warrior,” Debbie Gibson wrote, with Carmen Electra adding, “get it babe.”

“It is not easy to be vulnerable. Thank you for trusting us all and know your (sic) in our hearts,” one fan commented. 

“So happy you have this part behind you, now the healing begins! I pray your road is far less bumpy than mine and that you are so much closer to cancer free forever,” another social media user wrote. 

Eggert first revealed her diagnosis during a January 2024 interview with People magazine. The “Charles in Charge” star said she initially felt pain in her left breast and gained 25 pounds within three months. 

Believing them to be symptoms of menopause, she was surprised to locate a lump during a self-exam in October. Eggert’s doctors diagnosed her with stage II cribriform carcinoma breast cancer in early December 2023.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, most cribriform carcinoma breast cancer cases are estrogen receptor-positive, occurring when “high levels of estrogen in breast cancer cells help cancer grow and spread.”

After receiving her diagnosis, Eggert underwent her first mastectomy and lymph node removal. The actress completed chemotherapy in July 2024 and received radiation therapy.

During a December 2024 interview with Fox News Digital, Eggert explained that she would undergo a second mastectomy and breast reconstruction as the next steps in her treatment plan. 

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Following those surgeries, Eggert said she will either undergo a hysterectomy or begin hormone therapy, which would require a monthly estrogen-blocker injection for the next ten years, in addition to the two oral medications she will need to take for the next five years.

“There’s a lot that goes into this,” she explained. “The mastectomy is strange. I kind of went into it thinking they were just going to remove the breast tissue, and you recover from stitches and scars and, like, that’s it. But there’s so much more to it because they cut through so many nerves. So, that sensation and getting used to that is very bizarre.

‘BAYWATCH’ STAR NICOLE EGGERT DEBUTS SHAVED HEAD AFTER CANCER DIAGNOSIS

“And then also the lymph node removal is much more painful than the mastectomy,” she continued. “Much more complicated and affects the body much more. So, I wasn’t really prepared for that because they didn’t mention that they removed lymph nodes.

“It’s something I had to figure out on my own,” Eggert added. “You know, from my bed going, ‘What is wrong with me?’ And it’s the discovery of all of this and then figuring out solutions that work for my body and trying everything nonstop until something works.” 

Later on Wednesday, Eggert reshared a video about grief that was posted by grief educator and coach P. Paula Griffith. In the caption, she included a quote by First Lady Martha Washington, which said, “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.”