{"id":3326,"date":"2022-09-30T11:47:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-30T15:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3326"},"modified":"2022-09-30T11:47:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-30T15:47:00","slug":"cover-story-amber-vs-cancer-strength-and-perseverance-mark-amber-howlands-battle-against-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3326","title":{"rendered":"Cover Story – Amber vs. Cancer: Strength and perseverance mark Amber Howland\u2019s battle against cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Norah Machia<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

As a young breast cancer survivor, Amber M. Howland is hoping that by sharing her story, it will help save the lives of other women. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou can take a terrible situation and just stay at home,\u201d said the Syracuse resident. \u201cBut nobody would benefit from me keeping quiet. If one woman hears my story and decides to get a mammogram, then I\u2019ve done my job.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Amber was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37, and suddenly found herself having to make an overwhelming number of critical decisions about her future. \u201cI have learned so much through my journey that I want to share with other young women,\u201d such as breast cancer treatment and prevention options, genetic testing and egg preservation, she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, Amber has also become an advocate for raising awareness about rarer forms of cancer because \u201cthey don\u2019t get a lot of attention,\u201d she said. In May, she participated in the \u201cCycle for Survival\u201d event in New York City, raising more than $11,000 for the rare cancer research studies being conducted at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. <\/span><\/p>\n

She will be launching her second fund-raising campaign for the organization this fall to participate in the 2023 event. Amber cycled on an indoor bike for four hours during this year\u2019s gathering with hundreds of other cyclists.<\/span><\/p>\n

The center is researching new treatment options for several types of rare cancers, including sarcomas, which develop in the bones and soft tissues, including the fat, muscles, nerves and blood vessels. <\/span><\/p>\n

While undergoing her own radiation treatment, she started the \u201cAmber Vs. Cancer\u201d initiative, after realizing she could use the large amount of attention given to fund-raising for breast cancer research to put the spotlight on other lesser-known forms of cancer. Amber is working to support new and better treatment options for these patients, who are often young children.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although breast cancer is primarily found in older women, nearly 10 percent of all new cases in the United States are diagnosed in women younger than 45 years of age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These cancers are likely to be hereditary, more aggressive and discovered at a later stage, making them more difficult to treat. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Amber didn\u2019t plan on getting screened for breast cancer until she hit her 40s. But the unexpected loss of her mother in February of 2021 changed her mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother died of cancer,\u201d said Amber. \u201cShe had been misdiagnosed, and it was found throughout her body. We\u2019re not sure where it started.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

She decided to ask her doctor about ordering a mammogram. At the time, the doctor didn\u2019t think she was at risk because of her younger age, but ordered the screening test at Amber\u2019s request. \u201cI actually put it off for a few months because there didn\u2019t seem to be a sense of urgency, and I was still grieving the loss of my mother,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Amber went for her mammogram in November of 2021. She was told an ultrasound would also be needed because of her dense breast tissue, a common issue with younger women. \u201cThe technician started chatting with me, and then she got really quiet,\u201d said Amber. \u201cI knew something was wrong and I became emotional. She told me to just breathe.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A physician came into the room and told Amber they needed to perform a biopsy and send it for testing. \u201cHe said they found something on the ultrasound, and they weren\u2019t sure what it was, but it most likely not cancer,\u201d she said. \u201cBut something in my gut told me it was.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the results came back, her worst fear was confirmed. Amber was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. Her life was suddenly on a fast track for survival. <\/span><\/p>\n

There were treatment options to discuss and other critical decisions that needed to be made. Amber chose to have lumpectomy surgery, followed by radiation treatments. <\/span><\/p>\n

The next decision she had to make caught her off guard. Amber was told the radiation treatments could potentially affect her fertility, making it difficult, if not impossible, to become pregnant in the future. <\/span><\/p>\n

She was given the option of collecting her eggs through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and creating fertilized embryos for frozen storage. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/a> \u201cI was in the hospital room the night before Thanksgiving,\u201d said Amber. \u201cI was told that if I wanted to have children, I would need to start IVF the following week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

For Amber, it was a clear choice. \u201cI had always wanted to be a mother,\u201d she said. \u201cI told my husband, Mark, who was my boyfriend at the time and was in the room with me, that we needed to make some embryos.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Amber was feeling fortunate because her breast cancer was caught in the early stages, and her surgery and radiation treatments were successful. Her comprehensive health insurance plan through her job covered most of her diagnostic and treatment costs, along with the IVF therapy, so she did not face a financial crisis because of her cancer diagnosis. \u201cI know for some women, that is not always the case,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

She has a strong support system with her husband, Mark Smith, whom she married this past June. \u201cI knew I could handle breast cancer, but I also needed a partner to help me handle it,\u201d she said. \u201cMark is the best.\u201d Amber has been supported by her younger sister, Lindsey, who also lives in Syracuse. \u201cBut I learned quickly that when you are declared cancer free, that is just the starting line,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

After her treatment, Amber was tested for the gene mutations that put women at higher risk for breast cancer, and was found to have one (a mutation in the lesser-known ATM gene). It meant there was up to a 60 percent risk that her cancer would return over her lifetime. <\/span><\/p>\n

Amber has made the difficult decision to have a double mastectomy (surgery to remove both breasts) in the future as part of her cancer prevention plan. For now, Amber is being monitored and checked every six months with alternating mammograms and MRI testing. <\/span><\/p>\n

She plans to wait on having a mastectomy until after she becomes a mother. <\/span><\/p>\n

Amber and her husband recently met with a cancer fertility specialist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She was advised to remain on her medication to suppress her estrogen levels until next June, and then she will be able to be off the medication for a year. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was given hope after that meeting,\u201d Amber said. \u201cI was given a choice about my future.\u201d If a pregnancy does not work out, the couple will consider adoption.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Amber is urging young women to understand their breast cancer risk and be proactive about their health. Treatment works best if cancer is detected in the early stage. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fortunate because I have options,\u201d she said. \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t find out until it\u2019s too late.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

She is hoping to spread awareness about breast cancer and to raise funds for the next \u201cCycle for Survival\u201d through her website, <\/span>www.amberhowland.com<\/span><\/a><\/u><\/span>, along with her social media accounts: @ambervscancer on Instagram, and Amber Smith on Facebook. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to continue getting my message across about the need to support funding for rare forms of cancer,\u201d while also urging young women to find out their risks for breast cancer, she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Amber is no stranger to fund-raising. Before her cancer diagnosis, she was already helping others.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amber raised $12,854 for the Food Bank of Central New York, along with supporting more than 100 struggling businesses (primarily restaurants) by promoting their updated hours and curbside pickup options on her social media sites. <\/span><\/p>\n

A longtime runner, Amber raised the funds by completing 620 miles in 108 days (an average of roughly six miles a day) as part of a 1,000K virtual challenge run started during the pandemic by the One NY organization. <\/span><\/p>\n

She decided to sign up for the virtual run just a few weeks after the pandemic hit, in May 2020, to help deal with the stress of being homebound, and to continue being active. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also decided that I wanted it to be bigger than me just running,\u201d she said. \u201cI had dinner with my sister one night, and I came up with the idea of having a charity aspect to my run.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She arranged with the Food Bank of Central New York to have a link from her website directly to their landing page where people could donate. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt that time, I wanted the money to stay in the community where people could immediately see the results,\u201d Amber said. \u201cI was able to take my anxiety and fear about COVID-19 and turn it into something positive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Her \u201cAmber Vs. Cancer\u201d initiative is now taking her fund-raising efforts nationwide, to help those battling rare forms of cancer receive the attention they deserve, she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnyone can do this type of fund-raising,\u201d Amber said. \u201cI really believe that people want to help others, but they may not know how. If you give them the chance, people will come forward and help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Norah Machia As a young breast cancer survivor, Amber M. Howland is hoping that by sharing her story, it will help save the lives of other women. \u201cYou can take a terrible situation and just stay at home,\u201d said the Syracuse resident. \u201cBut nobody would benefit from me keeping quiet. If one woman hears…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[1140,739,1287,1294,964,968],"class_list":["post-3326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover-story","tag-amber-howland","tag-breast-cancer","tag-october-2022","tag-october-cover-story","tag-survivor","tag-survivor-edition"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Amber-Howland-Smith-Syracuse-Woman-Magazine-0005-scaled.jpg?fit=1708%2C2560&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2604,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2604","url_meta":{"origin":3326,"position":0},"title":"INSPIRE: Tula Goenka, SU professor and breast cancer survivor","author":"Staff","date":"October 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"By Jamie Jenson Photos by Maureen Tricase\/Capture Your Moments \u00a0 Tula Goenka was 44 when she got her breast diagnosis. It was 2006, and Tula, a professor in the Television, Radio and Film department at Syracuse University, said there wasn\u2019t a lot of online support \u2014 social media had not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Features"","block_context":{"text":"Features","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=101"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/fullsizeoutput-ea9e.jpeg?fit=1200%2C814&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/fullsizeoutput-ea9e.jpeg?fit=1200%2C814&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/fullsizeoutput-ea9e.jpeg?fit=1200%2C814&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/fullsizeoutput-ea9e.jpeg?fit=1200%2C814&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/fullsizeoutput-ea9e.jpeg?fit=1200%2C814&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3599,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=3599","url_meta":{"origin":3326,"position":1},"title":"Guest Commentary – Dear Cancer\u2026","author":"Alyssa Dearborn","date":"May 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Amber Smith Dear Cancer, I decided to write you a letter. It seems strange to sit down and write a letter to something that can take on many different forms, however, I\u2019m going to try. 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