‘Baywatch’ Star Nicole Eggert, 53, Finishes Radiation & Is Set To Be Medically Induced Into Menopause Amid Breast Cancer Journey

In the video post, Eggert informs her followers, “Hey! I’m checking in … it feels like it’s been forever, I’ve had so much going on but I wanted to update and say that I finished my radiation. I did a month straight every day and I finished right before the New Year.

“So that was pretty exciting because I was really happy to go into the New Year with just scans and surgeries ahead of me. And no more treatment for now, so that’s exciting.”

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After noting how she has started taking hormone blockers, she continued, “I was not menopausal when I got my diagnosis so I have to be thrown into menopause, medically, so here we go.

“I’m taking Letrozole, Kisqali, and Zoladex —it’s a shot you have to get in your abdomen with a huge needle, once a month in the doctor’s office for the next ten years, so it’s really hard when your noncommittal like I am. It’s daunting … so, one day at a time. So far I’m ok, I’m knocking on wood, I don’t want to jinx myself, I don’t have any extreme side effects, but it’s only been a weeks so I, obviously, could be speaking way too soon.”

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She concluded her video by encouraging her fans to speak out and share their stories to help her along her cancer journey.

On of Eggert’s fans commented, “Hi, you are such a great woman and your story helped me. I am 48 and I already absolved primary therapy (mastectomy, silicone implant, chemo therapy and radiation). Now I am on Letrozol and Zoladex since summer 2024.

“Unfortunately I can’t take kisquali because my body reacted too bad. Letrozol and Zoladex have some side effects. My joints are hurting a lot. Sports and moving help. But as in other comments mentioned, every woman react different. My friend doesn’t have such strong side effects. I wish you all the best.”

Another fan wrote, “Wow sounds like you breezed thru radiation… I’m beyond impressed! I finished 30 rounds on Tuesday and my gosh my skin is not loving it. Love your attitude, keep it up. Much love pink sister.”

Nicole Eggert’s Cancer Journey

Nicole Eggert was diagnosed in December 2023 with stage 2 cribriform carcinoma breast cancer after discovering a lump in her breast while performing a self-breast exam.

A self-breast exam is an easy way to keep watch for anything abnormal regarding your breasts. It involves feeling the breast for any swelling, bulging, or changes in the shape of the breast or nipple. Checking for signs of redness, rashes, or discharge is also part of this exam. If anything is found to be concerning, you should contact your doctor. It’s important to note that self-exams should be done with regular mammograms.

RELATED: ‘Baywatch’ Star Nicole Eggert Goes Bald For Cancer Treatment amid Breast Cancer Journey 

Eggert said she initially started experiencing “terrible pain” and rapid weight gain that she first dismissed for signs of menopause. However, after she discovered a lump during a self-exam, a mammogram and multiple biopsies confirmed that she had breast cancer.

The rare type of breast cancer Eggert has is often slow-growing and low-grade, according to Breast Cancer Now.

“I can definitely feel it. It’s there. It needs to be taken out. So it’s just a matter of do I have to do treatment before the surgery or can they perform the surgery and then I do the treatment after,” Eggert told People last year.

Eggert’s treatment plan included eight rounds of chemotherapy over the course of six months, and was followed by surgery to remove the cancer via a mastectomy.

She also underwent 18 rounds of radiation treatment within four weeks. Now she’s set to be “medically induced into menopause” by taking pills Letrozole (Femara) and Kisqali (ribociclib), as well as Zoladex (goserelin), an injection, likely to reduce recurrence risk.

Hormone Therapies for Breast Cancer: Aromatase Inhibitor

In postmenopausal women, there is still some production of the hormone estrogen even though the ovaries have largely shut down. Drugs called aromatase inhibitors, like one of the ones Eggert is taking, are used to block the activity of the aromatase enzyme and, therefore, stop the production of estrogen. This helps slow down the growth of tumor cells that are sensitive to estrogen.

In most premenopausal women, the ovaries produce too much aromatase for these inhibitors to work effectively. However there is some evidence of benefit of these drugs in premenopausal women if their risk of recurrence is high enough that they’re also getting chemotherapy, but the evidence is not strong, so you should discuss this question with your doctor.

Examples of aromatase inhibitors include anastrozole (Arimidex), letrozole (Femara), and exemestane (Aromasin). All of these are in the form of pills that are taken once a day. Many women don’t feel any side effects when taking these drugs, but some may experience hot flashes, joint stiffness, or achiness.

Learning About Stage 2 Breast Cancer & Breast Cancer Treatment

Stage 2 breast cancers are either larger than stage 1 tumors or have moved to a few nearby lymph nodes. Treatment will likely be some combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. If chemotherapy is also needed after surgery, the radiation is delayed until the chemo is done. The same approach is taken to hormone receptor and HER2 positive as stage 1.

In Nicole Eggert’s case, her treatment include eight rounds of chemotherapy over the course of six months, which was followed by surgery to remove the cancer, radiation, and drugs to medically induce her into menopause.

The Debates Around Radiation for Breast Cancer

For anyone battling breast cancer, it’s important to understand that your doctor has many ways to treat breast cancer, including:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Hormone therapy
• Targeted therapy
• Immunotherapy

‘It’s important to understand why your doctor is recommending a particular type of treatment,’ says Dr. Jessica Tao

Surgery

Most women with breast cancer will have surgery at some point in their treatment. Depending on how far your cancer has spread and your personal preferences, you and your doctor may decide to:

• Remove just the cancer and an area of healthy tissue around it (lumpectomy)
• Remove one breast (mastectomy)
• Remove both breasts (double mastectomy)
• Removing your breasts can have a dramatic effect on your self-esteem, which is why some women who opt for a mastectomy then choose breast reconstruction surgery. This is a highly personal choice, and there is no “right” answer as to whether or not to reconstruct.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses strong drugs to kill cancer all over the body. You may get this treatment to shrink a tumor before surgery, afterward to get rid of any remaining cancer cells, or on its own if you can’t have surgery.

Whether or not to have chemotherapy can also be a choice, depending on a woman’s age, type of cancer, and stage.

Breast Cancer: Introduction to Prevention & Screening

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells and is typically used after surgery to lower the chance that the cancer will come back after treatment. Many women undergo radiation as part of their treatment, especially if they opt for a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy.

Hormone Therapy

The hormones estrogen and progesterone help some breast cancers grow. Doctors refer to these types of cancers as hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers. Receptors are proteins on the surface of breast cells that receive messages from estrogen, progesterone, or both, telling them to grow. Treatments that block these hormones may help stop the tumor.

Testing the tumor sample from a biopsy helps to determine whether hormone therapies such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) or anastrozole (Arimidex) might work against the cancer. Women with breast cancer that is fueled by estrogen may take one of these drugs as part of their treatment.

Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy

Immunotherapy and targeted therapies are newer forms of treatment. Immunotherapy boosts your body’s own immune response to help it stop the cancer.

As their name suggests, targeted therapies target certain substances that help the cancer grow. For example, drugs like trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) treat breast cancers that have too much of a protein called HER2 on their surface.

What To Ask Your Doctor

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may have questions about keeping your strength through treatment. Here are a few questions to help you begin the conversation with your doctor:

• What treatment will I be receiving?
• What side effects are associated with this treatment?
• Are there steps I can take daily to help minimize these side effects?
• What physical activity routine do you recommend for me during treatment?
• Do you have recommendations for someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy exercise?
• Can you recommend a dietician who can help me with healthy eating tips and weight maintenance?
• I’ve been having trouble sleeping. Do you have any treatment recommendations?

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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