University Times

The Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) and home shopping network QVC have presented $200,000 for breast cancer research to the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), partner with UPMC CancerCenter.

The contribution came from the net proceeds of last fall’s 19th annual QVC Presents “FFANY Shoes on Sale” event held to benefit several cancer research centers across the country.

The grant will fund research examining why cancer recurs and metastasizes that is being led by principal investigators Adrian V. Lee and Nancy E. Davidson and co-investigators Steffi Oesterreich and Adam Brufsky.

Breast cancer relapse and metastasis has received little research attention yet has the potential to have a major impact upon breast cancer survival as more than 90 percent of breast cancer deaths are related to metastatic disease.

The grant was given to UPCI after more than $219,000 in matching funds were raised by the community in western Pennsylvania.