Nicole Eggert Finds Motivation in Daughters Amidst Breast Cancer and Menopause Battle

Nicole Eggert openly discussed the difficulties of balancing her "all-consuming" struggle with breast cancer and the symptoms of menopause — and shared that the affection from her daughters provides her continuous motivation.

“I have more surgeries scheduled for next month that I’m enthusiastic about. I truly took my time with that decision because I was simply unsure of the correct path for me,” Eggert, 53, disclosed on the Monday, September 1, installment of the “Pod Meets World” podcast. “There are so many different viewpoints and possibilities, and I’m someone who needs to consider things carefully, so I spent a year listening to everyone, processing it all… It’s a major choice.”

Eggert, who received her breast cancer diagnosis in January 2024, revealed that she initially could not undergo a “lumpectomy” or a “mastectomy” because the “cancer was too large,” necessitating chemotherapy first, followed by radiation treatment.

Following chemotherapy, the Baywatch alumna stated that she’s dedicated “considerable effort to detoxifying” her body from the treatment while simultaneously managing other symptoms typical for a woman in her 50s, such as menopause.

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“So much information is available, much of which isn’t provided by standard, general practicing physicians,” she claimed, mentioning her focus on understanding how she can prevent the cancer from recurring in the future.

“Chemotherapy is an ordeal. And they administered the most potent treatments to me. And since it’s a one-time process, I need for this not only to be effective now but also, how do I comprehend how I reached this point?” she asked. “They advise against dwelling on it, but, excuse me, I must consider it. I want to know what I was doing that led me here. And what decisions can I make in my personal life and daily routine that will prevent me from returning here?”

Eggert noted that these days, she’s "constantly at medical appointments," telling co-hosts Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Rider Strong, “I am utterly weary of it… I get two good weeks out of every month, and the other two weeks I’m at the treatment center. So it’s genuinely all-consuming.”

Fishel — who was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in June 2024 before entering remission earlier this summer — highlighted that even when Eggert is at home, she still confronts menopause.

“Therefore, even when you’re feeling well, you’re still not feeling entirely great,” Fishel observed, to which Eggert affirmed, “100 percent true.”

Eggert appeared in one season 7 episode of Boy Meets World alongside Fishel, Strong, and Friedle in 2000. And while her time on the ABC sitcom was brief, Fishel stated that the two women have relied on each other amidst their individual health challenges.

Fishel, for her part, disclosed that she received her “initial clear mammogram” in June, and is currently striving to avoid "anxiety during the in-between times."

Eggert mentioned that outside of the breast cancer community, she also receives tremendous support from her two daughters, Dylan, 27, whom she shares with ex Justin Herwick, and Keegan, 13. (Keegan's father's name has not been publicly revealed.)

“My elder daughter lives in New York, so she didn’t have to witness much of it like my younger one did, but they are both supportive; they help me transcend my own self-focus too, because being a mom provides purpose and keeps you from feeling sorry for yourself,” Eggert clarified. “You have responsibilities and a role to play. Life is so much broader than yourself when you’re a mother or a parent.”

Eggert shared that her daughters instilled in her a “sense of duty to regain and maintain good health,” noting that they would often observe her to see how she was going to “handle it.”

“It’s this moment of, ‘I have to demonstrate to them how to face challenges and not collapse,’” she said. “It’s provided me with considerable motivation; it’s given me my purpose.”

She jokingly remarked that regarding her pre-teen, Keegan, she’s also an “unpaid taxi driver,” which frequently diverts her attention from her health struggle. “I have to be a mom. There are lunches to prepare, rides to provide, and tasks to do, and it’s such an excellent distraction,” she added.

Keegan has also had to “navigate it emotionally” with her mom, Eggert said, recalling the beginning of her diagnosis when she would become “overwhelmed and overstimulated,” leading the pair to rely on each other.

“I would look at her, and she would ask, ‘Are you okay?’ And we had this moment early on where she said, ‘I don’t know what to do or what to say,’ and I responded, ‘It’s okay, neither do I. I just need to sit, let’s just sit, hug, and be quiet.’ And we kind of learned it together that way. There is nothing more potent than a warm hug from your children. Sitting there silently and just having an understanding of, ‘Okay, this is so strange, and all I can say is this is too much right now, and we don’t have any answers. And we don’t have to.’ It was profoundly impactful.”

Eggert was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2024 after discovering a lump during a self-examination. A mammogram and three biopsies confirmed her condition.

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“It was genuinely throbbing and painful,” she told People at the time. “I immediately went to my general practitioner, and she instructed me to get it examined without delay. But the problem was I simply couldn’t secure an appointment. Everything was fully booked. So I had to wait until the end of November to get it done.”

In July 2024, she shared via Instagram that her body had a “full and complete response" to the chemotherapy. Five months later, she told Us Weekly she was experiencing a sense of “well-being.”

“I’m preparing to undergo radiation and then some surgeries and related procedures. However, I feel good spiritually,” she exclusively informed Us. “I feel good physically. I feel good.”

Earlier this week, Eggert announced on social media that she had undergone a mastectomy.

“Had a mastectomy with reconstruction on Thursday,” she posted via Instagram on August 28. “How was your weekend? #breastcancer #breastcancerawarness #feelyourselfup.”