Breast cancer patients treated at Allegheny Health Network will have expanded access to therapy, enhanced mammography and comfort-focused resources thanks to a donation from McCandless-based Glimmer of Hope Foundation.
The $140,000 gift will help launch the Mind, Body, Care initiative designed to improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients, especially those living with metastatic disease.
The program focuses on three core pillars:
Mind: The program will expand access to behavioral health services for metastatic breast cancer patients to build on a 2025 pilot program that addresses mental health needs. A $50,000 grant at the time provided help for patients with anxiety and depression.
A 2023 study of 230,000 cancer patients found that 10% had depression or anxiety before their diagnosis and 22% were diagnosed afterward. The pilot program provided free care to patients through a behavioral health psychologist two days a week.
Body: The grant will bring contrast-enhanced mammography to AHN Allegheny General Hospital, offering increased lesion visibility, particularly for women with dense breast tissue. Comparable to breast MRI, the technology is expected to reduce diagnostic delays, minimize unnecessary biopsies and shorten time to treatment.
Care: Money will buy cryotherapy pads — specialized cold-therapy socks and mittens — for patients at five AHN Cancer Institute locations, including Wexford, Forbes, Jefferson, Allegheny General and Saint Vincent in Erie.
The pads are designed to help reduce chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, a common side effect. They also can help prevent fingernail and toenail loss and other extremity damage associated with chemotherapy.
“Peripheral neuropathy can be painful, long‑lasting and sometimes permanent,” medical oncologist Casey Moffa said.
“By cooling the hands and feet during treatment, we aim to limit the amount of chemotherapy reaching the peripheral nerves.”
Preserving nerve function is critical, Moffa said, not only for a patient’s quality of life but also because severe neuropathy may force reduced doses or a full stop to an otherwise effective chemotherapy regimen.
“Preventing neuropathy whenever possible helps patients stay on track with their planned treatment,” Moffa said.
The new program is in partnership with the AHN Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Institute and AHN Imaging Institute.
Glimmer of Hope, a nonprofit founded in 1994 by McCandless resident Diana Napper, has donated more than $7 million for breast cancer projects at AHN, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, Magee-Womens Research Institute and Foundation and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
“For more than three decades, Glimmer of Hope has been committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of breast cancer patients in our community,” Napper said.
“We are proud to support a program that addresses not only the physical challenges of breast cancer but also the emotional and mental well-being that is so essential to healing.”
David Bartlett, chair of the AHN Cancer Institute, said he is grateful for the partnership.
“The Mind, Body and Care initiative represents an important step forward in our holistic approach to breast cancer treatment,” Bartlett said in a release.
“By integrating mental health support, advanced diagnostics and comfort-focused care, we are addressing the full spectrum of patient needs — not just treating the disease but caring for the whole person.”