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'GAME TIME'

‘Jersey Shore’ Star, 38, Shares Big Update After Shock Cancer Diagnosis

The reality star received the news ahead of her upcoming surgery.

Tamilore OshikanluContributor

PublishedJul 28, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT

UpdatedJul 28, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT

Updated Jul 28, 2026, 2:18 PM EDTPublished Jul 28, 2026, 2:18 PM EDT

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Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is preparing to undergo a hysterectomy after receiving an encouraging update in her cervical cancer battle.

The 38-year-old Jersey Shore alum revealed on TikTok last week that a PET scan showed her stage 1 cancer had not spread, clearing the way for her next major step: surgery.

“The scan was done, and she was like, ‘Great news! It didn’t spread,’ Polizzi recalled the nurse exclaiming. ”Everything is good. I feel great.”

Polizzi said she had completed blood work and an EKG for surgical clearance, making the looming procedure suddenly feel real.

“Now, like, it’s game time,” she said. “It’s happening soon.”

The reality star admitted she was frightened by the planned abdominal surgery, which she said will require an incision similar to a C-section rather than a laparoscopic procedure.

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“I’m losing an organ,” she said. “Getting cut open and taking something out of your body, like, I’m scared.”

Polizzi has had cosmetic surgery before, but she joked that it had done little to prepare her for this operation.

“I never really got surgery before like that,” she said, before correcting herself. “Well, I got my boobs done, so OK.”

A hysterectomy removes the uterus and, depending on the operation, may also remove the cervix and nearby tissue. Surgery is a standard treatment option for some stage 1 cervical cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.

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Stage 1 means the cancer is confined to the cervix. The five-year relative survival rate for cervical cancer caught early is about 91 percent, according to the agency.

Polizzi’s PET scan was used to look for signs that the disease had traveled elsewhere in her body. The scan requires a small amount of radioactive tracer, a detail that caught the reality star completely off guard.

A nurse entered the room carrying what Polizzi described as a “big suitcase” containing the injection.

“I had no idea that they inject you with radioactive material,” she said. “I’m like, ‘What the f— is that?’”

Despite worrying that she might feel claustrophobic, Polizzi said she fell asleep during the scan and enjoyed “a great nap.”

She later learned she needed to keep her distance from Lorenzo, 13, Giovanna, 11, and Angelo, 7, whom she shares with husband Jionni LaValle, for the remainder of the day.

“I was basically a walking Chernobyl,” she joked. “Sorry, kids, can’t sleep with mom.”

Polizzi first disclosed her stage 1 cervical adenocarcinoma diagnosis in February after a cone biopsy. She said she had received abnormal Pap smear results for several years but delayed follow-up appointments because the exams were painful and uncomfortable.

Instead of facing the problem, Polizzi admitted, she “pretended it wasn’t happening” until her doctor repeatedly urged her to return.

The Snooki Shop owner has since used her diagnosis to push followers to keep up with cervical cancer screenings and to create a space for others facing similar health scares.

This time, she asked people who have undergone hysterectomies—and medical professionals—to flood her comments with recovery advice.

“I’m terrified of waking up and being in pain because I’m a baby, and I don’t like pain,” she said.

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Polizzi plans to document the morning of her operation, just as she did with her cone biopsy, and wants the earliest surgery slot possible so she has less time to panic.

“I’m literally booking it for like 4 a.m.,” she said. “I won’t be able to work myself up because I’ll be too tired and cranky.”

For now, Polizzi said she feels healthy, is exercising, and is trying to eat well as she prepares for surgery.

Tamilore OshikanluContributor

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