Making life more livable for women with metastatic breast cancer .
Q & A with Dr . Christie Hilton .
Making life more livable for women with metastatic breast cancer .
More than 15,000 women are living with metastatic breast cancer * ( or stage IV breast cancer ) in the U . S ., which is breast cancer that has spread to other organs in the body . Thanks to medical advances , many patients live for years with the disease . But it requires a tailored , multidisciplinary approach with customized treatment plans . The Glimmer of Hope Metastatic Breast Cancer Clinic at AHN Allegheny General Hospital ( AGH ) offers comprehensive and coordinated care , with special attention paid to clinical trial options and quality-of-life issues .
“ Our goal is to help minimize stressors , allay fears , and help patients maintain their quality of life ,” says Christie Hilton , DO , AHN Medical Oncology , director of the center . “ Having metastatic disease becomes a full-time job . Our patients see multiple specialists and have ongoing and frequent checkups , scans , and lab work . But they still work and have families and interests beyond their cancer . Here they can receive exceptional , integrative care while continuing treatment — and still be free to live their lives .”
* Surveillance , Epidemiology and End Results ( SEER )
Q & A with Dr . Christie Hilton .
Christie Hilton , DO , director of the Glimmer of Hope Metastatic Breast Cancer Clinic at AGH is on a mission : To expand support for women living with the disease .
Q : What is your goal as director of the clinic ?
A : “ There are women around us who are living full lives with metastatic breast cancer . We ’ ve designed our clinic to help make cancer a smaller part of their lives , and to provide support throughout their journey and beyond .”
Q : What is the most important thing women living with metastatic breast cancer and their families should know about living with the disease ?
A : “ People often think they need to wait until they ’ re out of options to try a clinical trial . But , they can benefit from clinical trials earlier , and at all stages of their disease . We screen for clinical trial enrollment at all points throughout our patients ’ journeys .”
Christie Hilton , DO , Medical Oncology
Q : What drives you in your mission ?
A : “ Our patients . Women tend to take care of everyone and everything before they care for themselves . We must care for them in the ways they need so they maintain their quality of life , physically and emotionally .”
If you would like to discuss your cancer diagnosis , call ( 412 ) 578-HOPE ( 4673 ) to schedule an appointment .