'Baywatch's Nicole Eggert, 51, Shares 'Rough' Health Update

Nicole Eggert attends Chiller Theater Expo Winter 2017 at Parsippany Hilton on Oct. 27, 2017, in Parsippany, N.J.

Actress Nicole Eggert—known for her roles in Baywatch, Charles in Charge and more—revealed a "rough" health update: She was diagnosed with stage 2 cribriform carcinoma breast cancer.

In an exclusive interview with People published on Monday, Jan. 9, Eggert, 51, announced her diagnosis and detailed her symptoms. They included a 25-pound weight gain over three months and "terrible pain" in her left breast starting in October 2023.

At first, she chalked it up to menopause. But during a self breast exam, Eggert felt a lump, prompting her to call her doctor.

“It really was throbbing and hurting,” the actress told People. “I immediately went to my general practitioner and she told me I had to immediately go get it looked at. But the problem was I just couldn't get an appointment. Everything was booked."

Eggert had to wait until late November to get the ball rolling. At that point, she underwent a discovery mammogram and three biopsies, which came back as cancerous.

Although Eggert has a family history of cancer—skin cancer for her father, and colon cancer for her mother—getting her own diagnosis hasn't been easy.

“This journey's been rough for me," she admitted. "This hasn't been a breezy sale through life. I always read inspirational quotes and corny stuff, but it gets me through.”

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“I have panics where I'm like, just get this out of me,” Eggert added. “You sit there and it's in you and you're like, every second that passes and it's inside of me. It's growing, and you're just like, you just want it out.”

At this point, Eggert's oncologist is determining when her treatment plan—which will include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation—will begin and whether the cancer has spread elsewhere.

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On Jan. 8, the actress shared a link via Instagram to a GoFundMe campaign a friend organized for her. The goal is $100,000, and the money will help Eggert, a single mom, afford her cancer treatment while still being able to provide for her 12-year-old daughter, Keegan. Eggert also has an adult daughter, Dilyn, 25.

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