Sixteen months after doctors delivered a grim prognosis of advanced liver cancer and mere weeks to live, Leslie Glass, a Penthouse Pet, is not just surviving – she’s thriving and challenging every expectation. In a powerful display of resilience, Glass, a stripper by profession, recently graced a photoshoot in Midtown, radiating strength and preparing for yet another Penthouse layout.
“My dance and nude poses aren’t about external validation or arousal,” Glass asserts. “It’s a deeply personal act, nourishing my spirit. Embodying the strength of healthy women empowers me in my own fight for health.”
Glass, who was in town alongside fellow Penthouse Pets Gina La Marca and Amy Lynn for a breast cancer fundraiser, recounts the chilling onset of her ordeal in July 1998.
“I was performing my [stripping] routine in Fort Lauderdale when a sudden, intense swelling engulfed my abdomen – it felt like a volcanic eruption,” Glass vividly recalls.
“Rushed to the emergency room, I underwent immediate surgery. The surgeons removed a grapefruit-sized tumor from my colon, along with an ovary and a section of my stomach. Then, they turned to my liver, discovering a staggering 72 tumors. They closed me up and delivered the devastating news: two weeks to live,” she remembers.
“I was utterly crushed, in disbelief. It felt surreal, impossible to accept as my reality.”
At 36, Glass has demonstrated remarkable progress. She continues monthly surgeries and chemotherapy to combat the remaining tumors on her liver. Despite battling a highly aggressive form of cancer, the Baltimore native maintains her stripping career three nights a week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, aiming to inspire others facing similar health battles.
“Maintaining a positive self-image and embracing your sexuality is crucial, even when ill – it’s beneficial for your overall well-being,” she emphasizes.
Dr. David Van Echo, an oncologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, who has been treating Glass since August 1998, describes her as “extraordinary.”
“When I first met her, she appeared gravely ill. I honestly believed she wouldn’t live past Halloween,” Dr. Van Echo admits.
He initiated a chemotherapy regimen, a German-developed approach then novel in the United States. Astonishingly, within three weeks, 60 of the liver tumors vanished.
After eight months, the treatment’s effectiveness waned. Glass now undergoes radio-frequency ablation, where microwave needles “cook” the tumors, combined with chemo-embolization, which obstructs tumor blood supply and concentrates medication within the tumor itself.
While Dr. Van Echo refrains from predicting Glass’ long-term future – “we’re approaching it week by week, month by month” – he is deeply impressed by her indomitable spirit.
“Her scans are alarming, yet she appears healthier than many individuals without cancer,” he observes. “The reasons are unclear – she incorporates various supplements alongside chemotherapy, which has proven remarkably effective. Her robust personality and unwavering will to live undoubtedly play a significant role. Chemo induces fatigue and nausea, but she refuses to let it dictate her life.”
Beyond her personal battle, Glass dedicates herself to rescuing homeless and abused animals, managing an animal charity named Pets for Pets. She identifies as “deeply spiritual,” attributing her “good karma” to her resilience against the disease.
Complementing her conventional cancer treatment, Glass integrates alternative therapies, including meditation, vitamin supplements, yoga, and reiki.
“I don’t believe alternative therapies alone cure cancer, but I believe they strengthen the immune system, empowering it to combat the disease,” she explains. “You must explore every available avenue to save yourself.”
The adult-entertainment industry’s overwhelming support has been a major source of strength for Glass, with colleagues raising funds for her treatments. Her 29-year-old husband, Ghyslain, who has twice posed alongside her in Penthouse, is her ultimate motivation.
“There are moments of despair,” she admits. “But looking at my husband, I know I cannot inflict the pain of my death upon him. My will to live extends beyond myself; it encompasses the animals who depend on me and everyone who cares. They fuel my determination.”
Proceeds from tonight’s event, “Penthouse Pets Bare Their Breasts to Fight Breast Cancer,” at Club One 51, will support the Kathy Keeton Foundation, dedicated to cancer research. Kathy Keeton, the late wife of Penthouse Publisher Bob Guccione, succumbed to breast cancer in 1997.
“This is my chance to give back,” Glass states. “I’ve waited for over a year to regain enough strength to inspire others.”
Glass also anticipates challenging audience preconceptions about nude models.
“Some women might judge, thinking, ‘Many breast cancer victims lose their breasts, yet she’s displaying hers.’ They fail to realize one of us is battling cancer,” she points out. “Looking at me, you can’t dismiss my experience. I understand their struggle intimately.”
Glass, a lifelong non-smoker, non-drinker, and non-drug user, believes stress contributed to her cancer diagnosis and is now committed to relaxation and savoring each moment.
Her ultimate aspiration is to earn enough to acquire a small ranch and establish an animal rescue center, grooming service, and boarding kennels.
“That’s my sole life ambition,” she concludes. “I hope modeling provides enough income to realize this dream next year.”
She pauses, adding poignantly, “If I’m still here.”
For information or tickets to tonight’s breast cancer benefit at Club One 51, call (212) 702-6000.
