Allegheny Health Network announced Thursday morning that it has received a $25 million gift from Dow Inc. Executive Chairman Jim Fitterling, the largest philanthropic investment in the health system's history, aimed at expanding cancer research, clinical trials and patient support across its network. Fitterling, a cancer survivor, said he hopes the money will help more patients get access to the kind of care that once saved his own life.
A Patient-Turned-Donor's Personal Stake
According to CBS Pittsburgh, Fitterling was diagnosed with stage IV appendiceal cancer in the 2000s, a rare disease that can spread through the abdomen. He became a patient of Dr. David L. Bartlett, a surgical oncologist and director of the AHN Cancer Center, in 2008, according to a release from AHN. Under Bartlett's care, Fitterling underwent two cytoreductive surgeries along with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, a treatment that circulates heated chemotherapy through the abdomen.
“My hope is that this gift will help accelerate research and discovery so that more patients have access to innovative treatment options and the best chance of a successful outcome,” Fitterling said, per the same release. In recognition of the gift, AHN's Cancer Center and its more than 35 clinical locations will be officially rebranded as the AHN James R. Fitterling Cancer Center.
Eight Priorities, From Trials to Patient Support
The gift will fund eight clinical, research and patient-care priorities, the prnewswire.com release states. Among them: launching five novel cell therapy trials involving 100 patients over five years, and supporting five additional trials over the same period investigating new treatment options specifically for appendix and peritoneal cancers — the type of disease Fitterling himself battled.
The funding will also enroll an additional 10,000 patients in AHN's cancer data and biospecimen research initiative, establish an endowed chair in oncology to help recruit and retain leading cancer expertise, and support AHN's Patient Ambassador Program, which connects patients with former patients who can offer support throughout their care journey, according to AHN's cancer services page. The AHN Cancer Center currently serves more than 11,000 patients each year, per the prnewswire.com announcement.
Network Leaders React
AHN President Mark Sevco said Fitterling's gift will fund new discoveries, innovative treatments and improved cancer care, particularly for patients facing complex diagnoses, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Bartlett, who treated Fitterling directly, said the gift will help physicians and researchers pursue new approaches, accelerate discoveries and develop treatments, the station reported.
Building on Years of Cancer Investment
The gift arrives as AHN has steadily expanded its oncology research infrastructure. The network's Biomarker Moonshot program had enrolled more than 11,000 patients across all cancer types as of this past June, enrolling roughly 250 patients per month across more than 30 clinical sites, according to a separate prnewswire.com release. In September, AHN also announced a collaboration with The START Centre for Cancer Research to establish an early-phase clinical trial site at Allegheny General Hospital, intended to expand access to investigational cancer therapies for patients across western Pennsylvania, per the Journal for Clinical Studies.
That buildout follows a 2023 announcement in which parent company Highmark Health said AHN would construct a cancer institute at Allegheny General Hospital as part of a $200 million investment in cancer care, according to the Associated Press. Large philanthropic gifts to Pittsburgh-area cancer research are not without precedent elsewhere in the region: the Hillman Foundation's 2017 gift to the University of Pittsburgh was reported at $30 million, intended to fund cancer research at Pitt and UPMC over the following decade, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
