“Cancer has made me want to prioritize because I’m always working on projects. Now it’s just a matter of which ones are the most important. I want to make sure I finish,” he says.
Young Adult Cancer
For young adults who are being treated at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Young Adult team is standing by, ready to provide support and guidance through a tumultuous time.
"If you’re facing cancer, choose to work with the top talent at the top cancer treatment center in Western New York. Choose Roswell Park."
If cancer runs in a family, there may be an inherited factor that increases the risk of younger generations in that family developing cancer.
"With the fire department, we’re at a higher risk. It’s just an inherently dangerous job. Cancer’s always going to be a risk for us."
It’s a time most young people dream about: Being in your 20s, finally an adult, out in the world and working your first job, maybe living in your first apartment alone or with a roommate. It’s an exciting time full of change and new adventures — something that can feel upended and derailed with a cancer diagnosis.
When it comes to young adults going through a cancer diagnosis, Erik stresses the importance of asking for help. “Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for someone to talk to.”
"The staff at Roswell Park is fighting for me and others facing cancer to survive, and so, even when it was tough, I knew I also needed to dig deep and fight.”
Ewing sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that forms in the bones and soft tissue of children, teenagers and young adults. Options for treatment have yet to move past chemotherapy and radiation.
Generally, only about 5 to 10% of cancer diagnoses are traced to an inherited factor or gene mutation, but in the young adult (ages 18-39) population, experts say it’s likely higher.
Three years ago, Danielle Ossher was excited about starting a new life in Buffalo with her husband, Pete. They had been living in Boston, Massachusetts, where they met in college, but after 10 years, the couple began to think about moving to Western New York, because Pete was from Buffalo.
“A diagnosis of cancer has the potential to stop everything. It can delay or even eliminate large portions of your timeline and life goals, such as when or how to start a family.”