Cancer Supportive Services

Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC offers several cancer support services to assist you and your family with coping with a cancer diagnosis:

Patient Navigation Services

Patient navigators are available to provide individualized assistance to you, your family, and caregivers throughout your health care experience. Their mission is to help guide you through diagnosis and treatment — answering your questions and providing information about available services and amenities — to ensure a comfortable experience.

Call 412-641-1926 to reach a patient navigators at Magee.

Holistic Care Services

The Center for Integrated Medicine provides multidisciplinary holistic care for individuals with pain, physical health, and stress related problems. Pertinent to the care of cancer survivors, services include acupuncture, massage therapy, shiatsu, Qi Gong (a Chinese mind-body practice), and naturopathic counseling around diet and supplements. Additionally, the Center for Integrated Medicine holds classes in yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, and nutrition.

To schedule an appointment, or for more information, call 412-623-3023 or visit UPMC.com/IntegrativeMedicine.

Counseling Services

Counseling services are available at Magee for you and your family to learn different ways of managing the challenges brought on by cancer.

Our team of experienced psychologists are knowledgeable about:

• Cancer
• Cancer treatments
• The psychological and social problems associated with the disease

Our professionals represent a collaborative initiative between Magee and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Behavioral Medicine to provide counseling and psychiatric consultations, assessments, and treatments.

Call 412-623-5888 to schedule an appointment.

Peer Support Programs

Ovarian Cancer Support Program

Many women with ovarian cancer find it helpful to talk to another woman who has had the disease. The Magee-Womens Cancer Program offers Picking Up the Pieces, a peer counseling program that pairs long-term ovarian cancer survivors with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients. As an ovarian cancer patient, you can talk with a survivor who remembers the uncertainties of a diagnosis and treatment.

Call the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Pittsburgh Division at 412-661-1095 to find out more.

Breast Cancer Peer Support Program

The burden of cancer can sometimes be eased when you are able to talk to others who share or have experienced your same condition. Magee’s Breast Cancer Peer Support Program is a group of compassionate, dedicated breast cancer survivors who are available to offer support to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. All volunteers are at least one year past breast cancer treatment and have received special training to help them listen and communicate with sensitivity and care.

Call 412-641-4940 to speak with a breast cancer volunteer.

Lymphedema Support Group

The Lymphedema Support Group, sponsored by UPMC Centers for Rehab Services (CRS) at Magee, is open to anyone with lymphedema, a chronic condition often resulting after surgery. The group is led by physical therapists specializing in lymphedema management. The group meets the third Wednesday of every month.

Call 412-641-4488 for more information or to RSVP.

Look Good...Feel Better

Look Good...Feel Better is a monthly beauty program sponsored by the American Cancer Society (ACS) designed to help women cope with the cosmetic side effects of cancer therapy. A trained cosmetologist from the ACS and a registered nurse conduct the program for cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment. This two-hour program offers assistance on makeup application, wig selection, and other types of alternative headwear.

Visit the Look Good...Feel Better website or call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-395-LOOK for a listing of program dates and locations.​