‘Baywatch’ Star Nicole Eggert Gives Update on ‘Horrible’ Breast Cancer Battle

Baywatch star Nicole Eggert is sharing an update on her “horrible” breast cancer battle as she encourages people not to get breast implants. The 52-year-old actress opened up to Inside Edition Thursday, revealing that doctors have found more cancer in her lymph nodes since she was first diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in December.

Eggert revealed that she first knew something was wrong when she began to experience “really rapid weight gain and fatigue” about three months ago. In addition to those symptoms, Eggert said she started to feel pain in her breast, and upon further investigation, she found a large lump. “When I felt it my heart dropped and I was like ‘Oh my god,’” she remembered.

The Charles in Charge alum grew even more panicked as she found herself unable to book a mammogram appointment. “Nobody could take me so I walked into every breast care center like, ‘Please please please,’” Eggert shared. “It’s horrifying because every minute in every day that passes you know it’s growing.” Once she was able to get her mammogram, the actress was confirmed as having stage two breast cancer, having been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called invasive cribriform carcinoma. She’s currently awaiting surgery to remove the cancer in her breasts and told PEOPLE earlier this month that she was waiting to learn when her chemotherapy and radiation treatments will start.

Eggert said the cancer was harder for her to notice due to scar tissue she has from her breast implants, which she got at age 19. “If I didn’t have them, and I had my smaller, natural breasts, I am sure I would have felt it much sooner,” she lamented, adding that getting her implants was a “huge mistake” she made after being cast on Baywatch. “When I was on Baywatch, it was very in to be very thin with big boobs. I was the opposite, so I was wearing this red bathing suit that was flattening me, the one piece, and it just, it was like, ‘Oh, man,’” Eggert remembered. “There’s nothing you can do. You can’t stuff it.” 

Eggert hopes her story can serve as a cautionary tale for others when it comes to the dangers of breast implants and the importance of self-exams. “Do the self-exams, and don’t get those implants,” she said.