Breast cancer remains a significant global health challenge, with an estimated 2.3 million cases worldwide. In the Philippines, breast cancer incidence among women is high and surpasses that of neighboring Asian countries, ranking as a leading cause of cancer mortality.
Contributing factors include low health literacy, financial constraints, and uneven healthcare infrastructure, which often result in delayed detection, which often leads to diagnosis of breast cancer at an advanced stage.
Against this backdrop, Dr. Emmeline Elaine “Emy” L. Cua-De Los Santos contributes to efforts focused on expanding access to breast cancer care at the community level.
Her professional work spans surgical care, technology-enabled practices, and community-based engagement, particularly in unserved and underserved areas.
Dr. Emy contributes to breast cancer care through clinical practice, research, and community-based initiatives focused on access and sustainability. Her work has been acknowledged through professional recognition within the healthcare sector.
Background and Community Advocacy Involvement
Dr. Emy’s involvement in breast cancer advocacy is informed by personal experiences. Growing up in Legazpi City, she participated in community relief efforts during typhoons and volcanic eruptions, which contributed to her interest in service-oriented work.
Experiences with cancer in her family—including the loss of her grandmother to breast cancer and supporting her father during his cancer treatment—further shaped her engagement in breast cancer–related advocacy.
Her early experience as a nurse, medical student, and surgery trainee at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) exposed her to the emotional toll of breast cancer and to gaps within the healthcare system.
This period reinforced the role of technology, multidisciplinary approaches, and sustained advocacy in addressing the disease. In observing inequities in access to timely diagnosis and treatment, she has been involved in efforts to help narrow these gaps, with attention to dignity-preserving care for unserved and underserved patients.
Advancing Surgical Techniques
“Her work focuses on improving access to breast cancer care for underserved communities.”
Expanding Access to Care
Wonder Woman Projects, CancerSurgeonPH, Empower Her, and Hello, Breastie!
Dr. Emy has been involved in initiatives that extend breast cancer care beyond clinical settings.
In 2019, she launched the Wonder Woman Project, a a community-based program that provided free breast cancer screening, diagnostic services, and surgical care to more than 250 women. The program involved collaboration with local government units, civil society organizations, and hospital partners to support coordinated service delivery.
The project received professional recognition for its contributions to public health in 2019. Activities under the Wonder Woman Project were continued during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted traditional healthcare delivery methods. During this period, breast cancer telemedicine initiatives—Wonder Woman 2 and Talk2Doc—were introduced as successors to the original Wonder Woman Project. These programs supported chemotherapy patients in transitioning to oral treatment options when clinically appropriate and facilitated remote consultations and screenings to help maintain continuity of care.
Her advocacy also includes the use of digital platforms. She has contributed to online communities by sharing health education resources with a broad audience. She founded @CancerSurgeonPH, a social media initiative focused on public education related to breast cancer surgery.
Since 2021, @CancerSurgeonPH has served as an online platform for sharing breast cancer–related health education, reaching a broad audience across different regions of the Philippines.
In March 2025, EmpowerHer was established as a free breast cancer survivorship clinic providing consultations on skin care for patients undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment, menopause, sexual health, fertility concerns, arm swelling, mental health, and nutrition. The clinic addresses aspects of post-treatment care commonly encountered by breast cancer survivors.
To date, EmpowerHer has provided survivorship-related consultations to breast cancer patients.
In August 2025, these services were extended to a digital platform through the introduction of Hello, Breastie! , which offers online access to components of care previously provided through EmpowerHer. This expansion supports continuity of services when clinically appropriate.
Surgical Education and Mentorship
Education and mentorship form part of Dr. Emy’s professional activities. She has been involved in training initiatives aimed at supporting the development of surgical skills among Filipino surgeons.
Since 2019, she has participated in the training of surgeons nationwide through hands-on surgical demonstrations, seminars, and workshops.
She was involved in the development of the Oncoplastic Breast Surgery with Intraoperative Radiotherapy Workshop, a surgical training program organized by the Surgical Oncology Society of the Philippines in collaboration with professional medical societies.
The workshop integrates theoretical instruction with hands-on training, including the use of breast models, live surgical demonstrations, and cadaveric dissections. It has been attended by general surgeons and surgical oncologists.
Community Health Initiatives
Dr. Emy has participated in community service initiatives that promote public health and social well-being.
Over 17 years of volunteer work, she has been involved in mobile health caravans, health literacy campaigns, and COVID-19 response initiatives.
These programs are continually providing services to individuals in both urban and rural areas.
She has participated in various community outreach programs, including distributing free eyeglasses, supporting blood drives, and delivering medicines to patients in need.
In collaboration with organizations such as JCI Metro Manila, St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation, Unilab, and Hapee Toothpaste, she co-organized Got Heart 2016, a healthcare event that served the community and later expanded into a program reaching many people annually.
Her fundraising activities have supported initiatives such as cervical cancer screening, burn care, and pediatric patient support groups.
Healthcare Leadership and Impact
Her professional activities include clinical practice, research dissemination, and participation in community initiatives aimed at supporting access to breast cancer care.
She has contributed to surgical programs, research projects, and outreach efforts that address medical, social, or economic barriers to care. These activities have included training healthcare professionals, implementing community health initiatives, and developing educational programs to support patient access and survivorship care.
Throughout her career, she has been involved in initiatives focused on improving service delivery and expanding access to breast cancer treatment in the Philippines.
Cancer affects not only the individual but also their family and support networks. Based on her professional experience, she has participated in clinical, educational, and community initiatives aimed at improving access to breast cancer care.
From her early career to her work in breast surgical oncology and community health, she has been involved in programs focused on professional training, public health advocacy, and service delivery improvements. These activities contribute to the development of patient care systems and support healthcare professionals in providing timely care.
Breast Cancer Surgical Care in the Philippines
Surgical care for breast cancer involves evaluation, treatment planning, and discussion of appropriate surgical options based on clinical indication.