‘Baywatch’ Star Nicole Eggert, 53, Refused to ‘Keep Quiet’ In Order to Manage the Anxiety Related to Her Cancer Diagnosis

As she undergoes bi-annual scans to monitor her treatment, Eggert describes in an Instagram video the emotional rollercoaster that comes with each appointment.

“It’s no joke,” she says. “The anxiety can leave me shaking, feeling like I might faint.”

Eggert has spoken candidly about the darkness that can creep in while waiting for results.

“All the emotions—it’s so up and down. It’s wild how quickly I can go into such a dark place,” she shared. Despite years of personal growth, she admits, “As much work as I’ve done to myself, you can’t help it.”

Her decision to speak openly about the mental health impact of her diagnosis is a powerful act of advocacy. “For my mental health journey, I didn’t want to keep anything quiet,” Eggert said on the “ShareForCures” podcast. “Talking about my experience is a way to give back.”

Coping With Your Mental Health After a Diagnosis

According to Mental Health America, “56% of adults with a mental illness receive no treatment, and over 27 million individuals experiencing a mental illness are going untreated.”

While millions of people have unmet mental health needs, the need for mental health resources is even greater among cancer patients and their families.

Research published in Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences found that “35 to 40 percent of cancer patients have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder,” and the number of people experiencing mental health challenges is “higher among cancer patients with advanced stages of cancer and in palliative care settings.”

WATCH: How Genetic Testing Can Help Determine the Right Form of Mental Health Treatment.

Dr. Asher Aladjem, a board-certified psychiatrist at NYU Langone, tells SurvivorNet, “Anxiety is a protective and normal kind of symptom.”

“Sometimes the anxiety gets to the point that things stand in the way of the scan or whatever the test is, and people avoid it and run away from it. Treating the anxiety allows for the completion of the workup or the treatment or whatever the situation may be in a much more effective way,” Dr. Aladjem said.

Dr. Alagjem encourages patients to advocate for their mental health. He reminds us that even if mental health services are not offered while undergoing physical treatment for a diagnosis, patients can still ask their care team about them.

“We are trying to advocate for patients to be able to get the services that they need with whatever support they may need – whether it’s medications or therapy or nursing staff,” Dr. Alagjem added.

Figuring Out If You’re Ready to Share Your Diagnosis

Eggert may be okay with sharing details about her diagnosis, but not every patient feels that way, which is also okay.
Everyone navigates illness differently—some individuals facing cancer or chronic disease choose to openly share their stories, while others confide only in those closest to them. According to SurvivorNet experts, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach—every way of coping, from public to private, is entirely valid.

WATCH: Sharing a Diagnosis

“Patients who have just been diagnosed with cancer sometimes wonder how they are going to handle the diagnosis in social situations,” explains psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik.

She says many wrestle with questions like, “How much information should they share, and with whom should they share it?”

“There is no one right way to handle this diagnosis,” Dr. Plutchik emphasizes. “People should do what feels right to them.”

Because a cancer journey can last months—even years—patients often face ongoing uncertainty about their health, and this lack of clarity can greatly influence when, and how, someone chooses to share their diagnosis, she adds.

Dr. Plutchik also underscores the importance of respecting boundaries: loved ones and friends should honor the patient’s preferences about what they’re ready to disclose and when they’re ready to seek support.

Nicole Eggert’s Cancer Fight: From Self-Exam Discovery to Empowered Healing and Advocacy

Eggert’s cancer journey began after discovering a lump in her breast while performing a self-exam—a crucial tool for early detection of abnormalities. This led to her diagnosis of stage 2 cribriform carcinoma breast cancer.

Self-breast exams involve checking for swelling, changes in shape, or nipple irregularities, as well as signs of redness, rashes, or discharge. If any concerns arise, it’s essential to contact a doctor. However, these exams should always be done alongside regular mammograms for comprehensive screening.

Initially, Eggert dismissed her symptoms—terrible pain and rapid weight gain—as signs of menopause. But after discovering the lump, she underwent a mammogram and multiple biopsies, confirming her cancer diagnosis.

WATCH: The process of mastectomy breast cancer surgery.

“I can definitely feel it. It’s there. It needs to be taken out,” Eggert told People Magazine. “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?”

To treat her cancer, Eggert underwent a mastectomy, a procedure that requires careful consideration. Women facing this decision often weigh the choice between breast-conserving surgery, like a lumpectomy, and a full mastectomy.

Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, explains that removing the cancerous tissue in a double mastectomy typically takes about two hours. However, the overall surgery length can vary depending on whether a patient chooses reconstruction.

“The real length, the total length of the surgery, can often depend on what type of reconstruction [a patient] has,” Dr. Port says.

Some women opt for immediate reconstruction using implants, which can extend surgery to five hours, while others choose tissue transfer from the belly area. A few decide to forgo reconstruction altogether.

Eggert also underwent chemotherapy and radiation, which can lead to common side effects such as fatigue, nausea, and hair loss.

Since beginning her cancer journey, Eggert has become more proactive about her health.

“That’s really what’s kept me going and sane because you feel so hopeless … helpless and all of those things, but if you’re being proactive, it can really help,” she told Fox News. “At least for myself, it really helps to keep me motivated and keep me going.”

Her story serves as a testament to the resilience of cancer patients and the importance of self-care and proactive health decisions.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you’re going through cancer treatment and experiencing hair loss, here are some questions you may consider asking your doctor:

• Are there any treatments to help manage or minimize my hair loss?
• What are scalp-cooling devices, and how do they work?
• Do you recommend scalp-cooling devices?
• What other options are available to help me cope with hair loss?
• Can you recommend a wig maker?
• I’m struggling mentally with my hair loss; can you recommend a therapist to talk to?
• How can I find a local support group with people going through similar things?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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