Kassie DePaiva
Kassie DePaiva will take a break from “Days of Our Lives” to get cancer treatments. She is pictured at the Daytime Emmy Awards on May 1, 2016 in Los Angeles. Getty Images

Eve’s return to “Days of Our Lives” will quickly be followed by another absence. Actress Kassie DaPaiva revealed that although she started filming on the NBC soap earlier this summer, she has had to take a medical leave of absence.

DePaiva revealed that she has been diagnosed with leukemia, a cancer that affects blood and bone marrow. “I was asked back to play Eve on ‘Days’ and had begun my exciting return,” she wrote on her blog Thursday. “During the 3 week July hiatus I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and have spent 6 of the last 9 weeks in the hospital.”

The actress, who has been working on various soap operas for 30 years, said that she’ll likely make a full recovery. “I will continue treatment over the next 3 months,” she explained. “My prognosis is good, I will not likely need a stem cell/bone marrow transplant, and we expect a complete cure. I consider this just a bump in the road.”

In 2015, the “One Life to Live” alum left “Days” after she revealed that the Eve was being written out. Because NBC films so far in advance, her final episodes didn’t air until February 2016. Her character didn’t get much of a goodbye scene. Eve was simply said to be going with Claire (Olivia Rose Keegan) to her Juilliard audition in New York, but Claire returned without her.

TVLine reports that Eve will return for Theresa (Jen Lilley) and Brady’s (Eric Martsolf) wedding, and she’ll quickly be kidnapped by Orpheus (George DelHoyo). Will she be held captive off screen? It might be the easiest way to explain Eve’s sudden disappearance, but it still isn’t clear how DePaiva’s leave of absence will be handled on the show.

DePaiva doesn’t seem to want to stay away any longer than she has to. Though she can’t set a date yet, she plans to return to “Days of Our Lives” as soon as she is in good health.

“The ‘Days’ and ‘OLTL’ family love runs deep. Although I'm unable to be ‘camera ready’ now... my goal is get back to stirring up trouble in Salem soon. Keep me in you thoughts and prayers,” she wrote.

The soap opera veteran also asked her fans to help leukemia patients if they can. She recommended places where volunteers can donate money or blood, platelets and bone marrow. Check out DePaiva’s blog for ways fans can help.

“Days of Our Lives” airs weekdays on NBC. Check your local listings for times.

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