Kaye Abad’s Cancer Journey

Filipino actress Kaye Abad shared the news of her breast cancer story in a heartfelt YouTube video that premiered on her 44th birthday on May 17, 2026. The video, titled “My Journey,” is an intimate, 25-minute-long first look into her experience with diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.

Abad, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2025, chose not to share what she was going through until the release of her video last Sunday. “I didn’t pretend I wasn’t sick, I just pretended to be well,” said the actress at the beginning of the video, which is meant to be the first in an extensive series documenting her experience. She also shared that the video was meant to explain her increased health consciousness over the past year, as well as the symptoms and side effects she experienced as a result of the cancer and treatment.

Today, Abad is officially a breast cancer survivor. Here is what we know about her journey so far.

In the YouTube video, Abad is shown undergoing a mammogram check-up on January 13, 2025, at Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City, in the Philippines. She shared that she opted for the check-up, as while she was receiving treatment for stones in her gallbladder back in September 2024, her gastroenterologist suggested she undergo a mammogram due to her age. In the next clip, Abad is shown seated opposite Dr. Marivic Tan, her OB-GYN, who details that her mammogram results indicate a “high suspicion for malignancy.”

“The symptoms of the mass and of skin retraction are typical findings of breast malignancies; usually benign conditions will not have nipple retractions or skin retractions,” explains Dr. Tan. “That, in itself, plus your family history of breast cancer, means that this is already an urgent matter, so the sooner you address this, the better.”

Changes in the size, shape, or appearance of the breast are often among the first symptoms to appear in cases of breast cancer. Though such changes may not always indicate cancer, it is essential to take timely action to further investigate whether a tumor is present.

Learn more: The Warning Signs of Breast Cancer: What to Look Out For

Soon after receiving the diagnosis, Abad and her husband of almost a decade, Paul Jake Castillo, shared the news with their loved ones at dinner. They explained that she would be receiving treatment in Singapore, and that they had not shared the news with most of her family yet. In the video, Abad said, “Only my sister knows. My mom… I’ll try to hide it until I'm okay because I don’t want her to worry.”

“I didn’t know the treatments I would go through, how hard the journey would be, or if I would even survive it,” shared the actress, reflecting on how she felt at the very beginning of her cancer journey. “Today, I can finally say I am a cancer survivor.”

Abad also chose to share raw, emotional footage of several intimate moments in her journey with her viewers, including the moment when she was finally given the all-clear from her doctor.

“The doctor said that as of now, you can declare that you are a survivor, and you’re cancer-free,” the actress told her husband in an emotional clip of the exact instance when she found out that she showed no further evidence of the disease. “I’ve been waiting for this day,” she exclaimed, tears welling in her eyes.