Beauty queen Abbygale Arenas-de Leon shares how she found hope in her fight against breast cancer

A former beauty queen, a certified image professional, a wife, and a mother. One would think that Abbygale “Abby” Arenas de Leon has already got it all. Little do most people know, she holds a far greater title for winning the biggest fight of her life: a breast cancer survivor.

“It all started when I saw a pimple on my breast,” shared Abby. “I called my OB right away and she advised me to get a mammogram ASAP. Later on, I underwent a biopsy. When I got the results, I was in complete shock. The doctor told me I was diagnosed with Stage 3 HER2+ breast cancer, an aggressive type of breast cancer.”

The diagnosis came despite her living a relatively healthy lifestyle and having no history of cancer in the family. Despite the sad news, Abby was determined to fight. She didn’t perceive cancer to be a death sentence, but rather a test of strength for her to survive in the face of adversity.

Now, Abby uses her platform to serve as a beacon of hope for women in the battle against breast cancer. In celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, she joins ‘Hope From Within’, a cancer advocacy campaign by healthcare company MSD in the Philippines, as its newest ambassador.

Survival over cost, quality of life over money

Abby knew from day one that the only way to get better was to trust her doctors and follow their treatment advice. Although, one of her biggest questions to her doctors then was, “How much will it cost?”

The financial anxiety had Abby and her husband, veteran photographer Jun de Leon, navigated the possibility of selling their only home. While a house is indispensable for a middle-income family like the De Leons, Jun’s words were found reassuring by Abby. “We can buy another house, we can never buy another you.”

With the support of her loving husband and two kids, Abby went on with her personalized treatment plan which consisted of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and targeted therapy followed by modified radical mastectomy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy.

“Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was necessary for Abby since her cancer was discovered in a locally advanced stage,” said breast oncology surgeon, Dr. Diana O. Cua. “We needed to downsize her cancer