‘Baywatch’ Star Nicole Eggert, 54, Who’s Already Facing Breast Cancer, Faces New Cancer Progression, But Takes Action With Hysterectomy

“We can give in to our fear and anxiety, or we can surrender to this great mystery with courage,” she wrote.

“Test results showed early signs of more cancer. I am grateful to my doctors for keeping such a close eye on me. A full hysterectomy eliminates at least seven different types of cancers,” she added.

 

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A hysterectomy is a procedure that removes part or all of the uterus (or womb), often along with the cervix, according to the National Cancer Institute. Women who receive a diagnosis of uterine, ovarian, and cervical cancer may have their cancer treated with a hysterectomy.

Women may need a hysterectomy for a variety of reasons, and she and her doctor carefully review. Some examples may include endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, chronic pelvic pain or vaginal bleeding, and uterine fibroids.

While Eggert did not explicitly indicate what signs of cancer were found, she added the hashtag, “uterine cancer.”

Uterine cancer, also called endometrial cancer, begins when cancerous cells form in the tissues of the endometrium, or lining of the uterus.

After a woman has been diagnosed with endometrial cancer, her doctor will stage the cancer based on its spread within the body. A pelvic exam and imaging tests help your doctor learn if the cancer has spread or metastasized.

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Heidi Gray, a gynecologic oncologist, discussed open versus robotic surgery and how the two can be used to perform a hysterectomy.

“The most common procedure that we do robotically would be a hysterectomy, removal of the tubes and ovaries, you can also do more complicated omentectomy, removing the omentum [a fatty apron surrounding abdominal organs],” Dr. Gray explained.

WATCH: Staging Endometrial Cancer

The National Cancer Institute explains that there are different types of hysterectomy procedures.

• Total hysterectomy: Removal of the uterus and cervix, but the ovaries and fallopian tubes may also be removed.
• Supracervical hysterectomy: Removal of just the upper part of the uterus, but keeping the cervix. This may also be called a partial hysterectomy.
• Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: Removing the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes (salpingectomy), and ovaries (oophorectomy).
• Radical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: Removing the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries, the upper portion of the vagina, and some surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. This hysterectomy is done when cancer is involved.

As endometrial cancer patients are staged, Dr. BJ Rimel, a gynecologic oncologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, says the oncologist will explain the next steps.

“We’re going to talk about what that pathology shows and what the next steps in treatment would be. If the diagnosis has been made after a hysterectomy, then we’re going to talk a little bit about what that diagnosis shows and what the stage, grade, or extent of disease might be and how we proceed for treatment from there,” Dr. Rimel explained.

Rimel adds that there are treatment options for every stage of the disease, with new options approved all the time.

Supportive fans sent Eggert lots of love, support, and prayers.

“I am a four-year cancer survivor. I had endometrial cancer and a hysterectomy at 39. Early detection is 100%,” Instagram user Nicole Miller said.

Eggert’s Ongoing Breast Cancer Treatment

When Eggert bravely went public with her diagnosis, she revealed she had stage 2 cribriform carcinoma breast cancer. Early-stage breast cancer refers to cancer that is typically smaller in size and confined to the breast and surrounding tissue.

The “Baywatch” alum says she’s currently taking a few cancer medications, including Kisqali, Letrozole, and Zoladex.

WATCH: How The Drug Kisqali and Endocrine Therapy Work For Hard-To-Treat Breast Cancers

What is Kisqali?

Ribociclib (Kisqali) belongs to a class of medications known as kinase inhibitors, which block the actions of kinases, a type of protein in cells that play a key role in growth, metabolism, and cell repair. Inhibiting the kinase in cancer cells slows down the cancer from growing and spreading.

Kisqali is usually taken once daily in pill form along with the non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI) hormone therapy.

Doctors determine what type of cancer a patient has before treatment with a test called a biopsy. This involves removing a small sample of the tumor for testing in the lab.

If a patient’s disease is metastatic, hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative, then the combination therapy can even be considered as a first-line treatment, meaning it is the first treatment doctors will use.

Analyzing data from the NATALEE phase III clinical trial, Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky, Head of Breast Medical Oncology at Valley Health System, explained how breast cancer patients who received Ribociclib along with endocrine therapy (the current recommended treatment) had a 25% lower risk of recurrence or death.

Prior to the study, “Ribociclib was already approved for metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, but this study was looking to see if it has benefits in reducing recurrence in earlier-stage breast cancer,” Dr. Teplinsky explained.

The study looked at something called disease-free survival, which means patients are alive without their cancer recurring.

“In the group that received Ribociclib and endocrine therapy … at three years their disease-free survival was 90.4% compared to 87.1% in the group that received endocrine therapy alone,” Dr. Teplinsky said. This translates to a 3.3% “absolute improvement.”

WATCH: NATALEE Trial for Breast Cancer

How Does Kisqali Work?

Cancer cells divide and grow by repeatedly going through a series of proliferation events called the “cell cycle.” This cycle is highly complex and regulated, meaning that several proteins within the tumor cells must be activated in a specific way at specific times for the cells to proliferate. CDKs, including CDK4/6, are just such proteins. They control key events in the cell cycle pathway, which makes them great targets for anti-cancer drugs, such as CDK inhibitors, which is the class of drugs Kisqali belongs to.

WATCH: What Are CD4/CD6 Inhibitors? And How Can They Fight Advanced Breast Cancer?

Kisqali, however, cannot work alone. Cancer cells also have other proteins that control their growth. In response to CDKs being blocked, they can rev up the production of these other proteins to compensate for the CDK inhibition. This can effectively render CDK inhibitors useless. One way to counteract this is to inhibit such compensatory pathways as well. Thus, Kisqali can be paired with endocrine (hormone) therapies, another class of drugs used to treat breast cancer.

Endocrine therapy (hormone therapy) blocks hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone. These hormones can interact with certain proteins — estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) — present on the surface of breast cancer cells and fuel their growth. Such cancers are termed hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) cancers. When these cancers are starved of hormones, they are not able to continue growing.

By pairing Kisqali and endocrine therapy, doctors can launch a multi-pronged attack that cannot be easily compensated for by breast cancer cells.

WATCH: Hormone Therapies for Breast Cancer: Aromatase Inhibitor

Letrozole is an aromatase inhibitor that blocks the aromatase enzyme, thereby preventing estrogen production. This helps slow down the growth of tumor cells sensitive to estrogen.

Zoladex (generic name: goserelin) is a type of endocrine (hormone) therapy.

Coping With Side Effects

Eggerts says her cancer treatment regimen has lingering side effects that are affecting her daily life. However, she remains optimistic and focused on the bigger picture.

“My bones ache, my hair is falling out all over the place, hence why I’m shaving it tomorrow, my skin is dry, but these side effects are controllable, and I’m okay if it’s keeping the cancer away,” Eggert said.

During clinical trials, Kisqali was most commonly associated with nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, and headaches. However, serious side effects can also occur. These include lung inflammation that may lead to trouble breathing or a cough. Severe skin reactions may also occur, including a rash, burning sensation, blisters, or skin peeling. Abnormal heart rhythms, liver problems, and a drop in blood cell counts have also been reported. Rarely, these serious side effects can lead to death.

Endocrine therapy can also bring about side effects such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, loss of sex drive, mood swings, joint pains, brittle bones when used long-term, and headaches.

Remaining Hopeful

Despite the rigors of treatment and the side effects, Eggert remains optimistic not just about her treatment but also about the future.

“I just want to live, I want to be here for my kids,” Eggert said.

 

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Eggert says resource outlets like SurvivorNet have helped her throughout her cancer journey, answering lingering questions that can arise on the spur of the moment.

“I read SurvivorNet all the time; it’s been a lifeline for me. As soon as I got my diagnosis, it popped up immediately in my feed, and SurvivorNet has really been one that I have really held onto.”

Helping You Understand Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer begins when cancerous cells form in the tissues of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus.

WATCH: Different Types of Endometrial Cancer

Some common risk factors for endometrial cancer include:

• Obesity
• Taking estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy after menopause
• Having never given birth or started menstruation at an early age
• Having a family history of endometrial cancer

Common symptoms of endometrial cancer may include:

• Pelvic pain: Some women may experience pain or discomfort in the pelvic area.
• Pain during intercourse: This symptom is less common but can occur in some cases.
• Unusual vaginal discharge: Watery or blood-tinged discharge may be a sign of endometrial cancer.
• Weight loss: Unexplained weight loss can sometimes be associated with cancer.
• Urinary problems: Difficulty or pain when urinating.

Endometrial Cancer Treatment Options

Treatment for endometrial cancer includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy. Surgery is the most common treatment method.

“There are a lot of new exciting treatments for advanced endometrial cancer that we’ve just discovered over the last couple of years,” Dr. Dana Chase, gynecologic oncologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, says.

“So even if you’re diagnosed with an advanced stage, ask your treating doctor what the latest treatments are, or even potentially, is there a clinical trial I can participate in for my endometrial cancer? … There’s a lot of research on new treatments for endometrial cancer, which is very exciting,” Dr. Chase continued.

The most common procedure is a hysterectomy, where the surgeon removes the uterus. They often also remove both ovaries and fallopian tubes in bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. This helps lower the risk of the cancer spreading or coming back.

WATCH: What to Know About Endometrial Cancer-Related Surgery

“Doctors usually treat early-stage endometrial cancer with surgery as the main approach,” Dr. Rimel explains. “During the surgery, doctors may also perform staging to see how far the cancer has spread. This involves taking out and examining nearby lymph nodes and tissues.”

Chemotherapy and radiation are options, particularly when the cancer is in more advanced stages.

Treating endometrial cancer with hormone therapy involves removing hormones or blocking their ability to help cancer cells grow. Targeted therapy treatment uses drugs designed to target specific cancer cells.

“Hormonal therapy commonly works because most endometrial cancers are estrogen receptor-positive,” Dr. Michael Toboni, an assistant professor in the division of gynecologic oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, tells SurvivorNet.

“So if you give progesterone, it can counteract the estrogen feeding the cancer. This is commonly given with multiple anti-estrogen medications or an anti-estrogen medication in combination with another medication that inhibits a common pathway in endometrial cancer.”

Each treatment method can have side effects, and the impact on the body may vary depending on the type of treatment. If you are undergoing treatment for endometrial cancer, discussing potential side effects with your doctor and strategies to minimize their impact is crucial.

Additional Endometrial Cancer Treatment Options

In recent years, endometrial cancer patients have seen an increasing number of treatment options emerge to make battling the disease more manageable.

WATCH: New Combination Therapy for Advanced Endometrial Cancer Patients

The impact of new combination therapies on advanced endometrial cancer – a type of cancer that affects the lining of the uterus – is a significant advance for treating the disease. Patients are living longer, healthier lives.

Durvalumab (brand name IMFINZI) is an immunotherapy drug that’s often used alongside chemotherapy.

Olaparib (brand name LYNPARZA) is a PARP inhibitor, a type of drug that helps treat some cancers by blocking an enzyme called PARP that helps repair damaged DNA in cells. Olaparib destroys cancer cells, especially cells that already have trouble repairing their DNA. Sometimes, it’s used as an add-on to durvalumab.

“For a long time, patients with early-stage endometrial cancer generally do very well with a combination of surgery, maybe some radiotherapy,” says Dr. Shannon Westin, a professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.

“However, there’s a population of patients who are diagnosed at a later stage, stage three or four, or who have their cancer come back after initial therapy. And those patients have had a really hard time,” she adds.

According to Westin, the latest treatments combine immunotherapy with standard chemotherapy plus a drug that prevents cancer cells from fixing their own DNA.

The results are encouraging, especially for patients who have late-stage endometrial cancer or whose disease has come back.

Some known side effects of durvalumab and Olaparib include:

Durvalumab can cause inflammation in various parts of the body, which can lead to:

• Skin rashes
• Diarrhea
• Liver inflammation

Olaparib may lead to side effects such as:

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Blood-related issues such as anemia
• Increased risk of developing certain other cancers due to the DNA repair inhibition.

Another U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved combination therapy for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer to be used with traditional chemotherapy is dostarlimab-gxly (brand name Jemperli). It is an immune checkpoint inhibitor, a type of immunotherapy that helps reinvigorate the body’s immune system to fight cancer.

WATCH: Treatment for Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer

Dostarlimab-gxly was already approved for metastatic and recurrent endometrial cancer in cases where chemotherapy did not work. Now, dostarlimab-gxly is approved as part of the first treatment for patients who have a specific set of genetic mutations called mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). These genetic factors are associated with a much greater response to the checkpoint inhibitor class of drugs.

Questions for Your Doctor

If you have been diagnosed with endometrial cancer, you may want to ask your doctor a few questions to ensure you are well-informed about your diagnosis and the treatment journey that awaits.

• What stage is my endometrial cancer?
• What are the treatment options available for my specific type and stage of endometrial cancer?
• What are the potential side effects of each treatment option, and how can they be managed?
• What is the expected prognosis for my condition?
• Are there any clinical trials or experimental treatments that I may be eligible for?
• How often will I need follow-up appointments and tests to monitor my condition?
• Are there any lifestyle changes or dietary recommendations that can help improve my prognosis or manage side effects?
• What support services are available to help me cope emotionally?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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