Zebulon woman lost her life to breast cancer but began a new fight to help others

A Zebulon woman who lost her fight with the deadliest form of breast cancer may now help others survive the disease. Her legacy was pushing for more funding to advance metastatic breast cancer research.

Rhonda Howell inspired a "first of its kind" collaboration between Duke and UNC researchers.

In 2016, Howell still held on to the hope of surviving the disease. "I was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in August of 2013," she said then, sitting with her husband Adam Howell and with their young son Luke.

Then, she’d had gone through a double mastectomy and rigorous treatments to kill the cancer before it spread. One year later, "They told me that my cancer was back and it was in my pelvis and in my spine." said Howell.

"She was devastated as we all were," said her husband Adam.

Once cancer has spread outside of the breast, the survival rate is only 29%. Howell said that’s partly due to a lower level of funding for stage 3 breast cancer research compared to more treatable forms.

He said, "That’s where we really started to realize the impact that it would make to bring awareness to metastatic breast cancer, not just breast cancer in general."

Triangle Komen’s Pam Kohl joined the Howells to create the "Metastatic Breast Cancer Collaborative Research Initiative". It involved a new partnership between Duke Cancer Institute and UNC Lineberger," says Komen’s Stuart Beeson.

He added, "For a researcher from one institution to partner with one from another, and you know, that really hadn’t been done,"

Rhonda Howell’s personal story helped inspire the effort led by Duke’s Dr. Zachary Hartman and UNC’s Dr. Benjamin Vincent.

Hartman explained, "What we’re trying to do is start a fire in your immune system to really wipe out and eradicate metastatic breast cancer and prevent, really, recurrence."

Vincent added, "So as the patient is coming to be treated, we don’t just give them, you know, a generic vaccine, but that we give them one that’s personalized to their cancer."

Rhonda Howell passed away on January 26th, 2022 but not before leaving a last impact for others diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer.

"Specifically, here in the Triangle, you know, any grants that are, you know, going to come out in the future, her legacy is printed on those," said Beeson.

Rhonda Howell’s contribution was a legacy of love.

Adam Howell said, "Rhonda knew from a very early on point in her journey with metastatic breast cancer that research is the only option that could potentially save her and many others’ lives."

Rhonda Howell was also a patient ambassador for the drug company Pfizer in 2016.

She, along with her husband Adam co-chaired charity galas that raised a total of $375,000 for Metastatic Breast Cancer Research.