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Kaye Abad calls out misconceptions about battling cancer

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — For actress and cancer survivor Kaye Abad, telling someone with cancer to “be strong” may sound encouraging, but it can also overlook how difficult and uncertain the journey really is.Abad opened up about the emotional and physical challenges of battling breast cancer on broadcast journalist Karmina Constantino’s podcast “KC After Hours,” where she discussed the things people often misunderstand about cancer and how friends and loved ones can offer meaningful support.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786948965490Kaye2.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="YouTube/KC After Hours"/>YouTube/KC After Hours</div>&quot;Ang daling sabihin na laban, we can fight, we are strong, ang dali-daling sabihin. But it&#x27;s really, really hard at the back of your head na &#x27;paano ka lalaban?&#x27; &#x27;Yung kinokontra mo na hindi ka pwede mag-init ng ulo kasi hindi naman nila alam, hindi nila naiintindihan &#x27;yung pinagdadaanan mo,&quot; Abad said.&quot;Yun ang mahirap na part na &#x27;yung pinagdadadaanan ko, ako lang. Of course, my husband is there but other than wala, it&#x27;s just me,&quot; Abad added.In the podcast, Abad shared what people could actually tell person who&#x27;s battling the serious health condition.  &quot;Ako kasi umabot sa point na I feel ugly because of my medication. Tapos siyempre hindi pumapayag si Paul Jake (Castillo, her husband) na magpakulay ako ng buhok kasi nga chemical. So umabot sa point na I feel very ugly. Nakakatulong &#x27;yung my friends will uplift me &#x27;you still look good. You are going through something but still you look good. It&#x27;s amazing na kahit ganyan okay ka, hindi halata na may sakit ka.&#x27; I think &#x27;yun &#x27;yung  nakakatulong. Ano &#x27;yung term na yon? Hindi ina-uplift but kino-complement ka nila,&quot; Abad said.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786948999331kaye.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="YouTube/KC After Hours"/>YouTube/KC After Hours</div>Abad also echoed Constantino’s advice to be a “ray of sunshine” for someone going through cancer.&quot;Huwag na &#x27;yung &#x27;uy kaya mo &#x27;yan, be strong.&#x27; Kasi sabihin mo be strong, pero sa loob nila yes madaling sabihin be strong but it&#x27;s really hard. It&#x27;s very very hard. We don&#x27;t know what will happen, we don&#x27;t know how the medication will react to your cancer. So wala tayong idea, we&#x27;ll  just have to wait. Yeah kailangan maging strong but it&#x27;s really hard,&quot; Abad said.For Abad, it was also a big help that her friends treat her normally during her cancer journey.It was last May when Abad through her vlog revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025 but has now been declared cancer-free by her doctor.

Actress and cancer survivor Kaye Abad wants people to understand that telling someone with cancer to “be strong” is easier said than done, as no two cancer journeys are alike.

Actress and cancer survivor Kaye Abad wants people to understand that telling someone with cancer to “be strong” is easier said than done, as no two cancer journeys are alike.