MANILA, Philippines — Miss Universe 1993 Dayanara Torres revealed on Tuesday that she has been diagnosed with skin cancer and is currently waiting for treatment.
In a lengthy Instagram post, the Puerto Rican beauty queen and actress began her statement saying, "As mothers we are always taking care of everyone around us... our kids, family, friends & often we forget to take care of ourselves."
"Today I have some sad news... I have been diagnosed with skin cancer 'melanoma' from a big spot/mole I never paid attention to, even though it was new, it had been growing for years and had an uneven surface," she said.
Dayanara said her fiancé Louis D'Esposito convinced her to have it checked. After the test, they learned that the results are positive.
"Now we are waiting to see which treatment I will be receiving but they have already removed a big area from the back of my knee & also they have removed 2 lymph nodes at the top of my leg where it had already spread. Hoping it has not spread to any more areas or organs," she said.
Despite her condition, Dayanara said she's a "warrior" who entrusts everything to God.
"I have put everything in God's hands and I know he has all control... My sons although a bit scared know about my faith and know they have a warrior of a mommy," she said.
The beauty queen said she's sharing her experience in hopes of helping others. She also urged her followers to never forget to take care of themselves.
"If you see something or feel something different in your body have it checked... I had no idea skin cancer could spread anywhere else in your body," she said.
Dayanara rose to fame in the Philippines after she handed her crown to 1994 Miss Universe Sushmita Sen in Manila. She became an actress in the country who was paired with Aga Muhlach in several movies. She was also a pioneer host of ABS-CBN's Sunday variety show "ASAP."