University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute to Benefit from QVC Presents ‘FFANY Shoes on Sale® ’
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 16, 2012 – The Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) and QVC have named the
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), partner with
UPMC CancerCenter, one of the beneficiaries of the 2012 QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale®,” a charitable shoe sale to benefit breast cancer research and education. As a beneficiary, UPCI is scheduled to receive a grant of $125,000 in the spring of 2013 under the condition that it raises matching funds.
The grant will support research led by
Adrian V. Lee, Ph.D., director of the Women’s Cancer Research Center at UPCI and Magee-Womens Research Institute, and
Nancy E. Davidson, M.D., director of UPCI and UPMC CancerCenter. Drs. Lee and Davidson will use the funds to continue their research into why breast cancer recurs and what causes it to metastasize.
“FFANY and QVC have been incredible supporters of breast cancer research, and we are thrilled to be recognized for our work in this area,” said Dr. Lee. “The funds from this challenge grant will support our effort to build an overarching program for the study of metastatic breast cancer.”
According to Dr. Lee, his group intends to create a team of consumer advocates, social scientists, oncology nurses, pathologists and oncologists to study and overcome the barriers women with advanced disease experience when it comes to participating in clinical trials and the collection of tissues for research studies. These barriers include concerns about whether or not the patient will receive optimal treatment, potential side-effects from treatment, and the complexity involved with research studies.
These concerns limit clinical trial participation and have a detrimental effect on the ability of researchers to make advances in the understanding and treatment of advanced breast cancer.
“Eventually, we hope this program will help us identify modifications women can make that could help them delay or even prevent breast cancer recurrence,” said Dr. Davidson. “Support from FFANY will help to empower women with recurrent breast cancer and their doctors to contribute to a wider understanding of breast cancer recurrence.”
Since its inception, QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale” has sold over 1 million pairs of shoes and has donated more than $38 million to the cause. This is one of the largest charitable events in the shoe industry in which Nine West Footwear Corp., Brown Shoe Co. and Camuto Group each are donating more than $500,000 worth of shoes. Their contributions include brands such as Enzo Angiolini, Bandolino and AK Anne Klein as well as Via Spiga, Etienne Aigner, Carlos by Carlos Santana, Vince Camuto, Jessica Simpson, BCBGeneration and LUCKY Brand. Other companies generously donating shoes include Chinese Laundry, Guess, Kenneth Cole New York, MICHAEL by Michael Kors and many more.
For more information on how to participate in UPCI’s challenge to raise matching funds, call 412-623-4700.