A $1 million gift from the Bacchieri Family to ChristianaCare will support the purchase of a portable radiography system to analyze breast cancer specimens at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. The gift will also expand a fellowship program to reduce disparities in breast and lung cancer.
In Delaware breast and lung cancer are among the most frequently diagnosed cancers. The First State has the highest incidence nationally of triple negative breast cancer, the most aggressive form of breast cancer, among the Black population. And lung cancer is responsible for 33% of cancer deaths in Delaware.
“ChristianaCare extends our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Bacchieri family for their philanthropic leadership,” said Dia Williams Adams, vice president of philanthropy at ChristianaCare. “Making this lifesaving technology available for breast cancer patients and expanding this fellowship program for both breast and lung cancer are critical components to building strong and healthy communities.”
“As long-time supporters of the Graham Cancer Center, we know our investment in the very latest technology to examine pathology specimens and expand the fellowship program in population health/science will advance cancer care, reduce disparities and improve outcomes in Delaware and surrounding communities,” said Stacey Bacchieri. “We hope our support of the Graham Cancer Center, made in honor of Dr. Nicholas Petrelli, will inspire many others to join us in the fight against cancer and to support the underserved populations in our state.”
The Kubtec XPERT 80 Specimen Radiography System is portable and provides high-resolution X-ray images of breast specimens of all sizes. It will enable pathologists at the Graham Cancer Center to process approximately 2,000 breast cases annually, an increase of 500 cases.
“ChristianaCare is deeply grateful to Stacey Bacchieri and her family for their generous gift and continued support of our cancer program,” said Nicholas Petrelli, M.D., medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. “This new radiography system will be transformational and provide a number of benefits for our breast cancer patients, such as enabling providers to see the finest details in the widest range of specimens while reducing turnaround time.”
The Caspar Wistar Bacchieri Disparities Fellowship in Cancer Population Health will support the next generation of population health cancer researchers and focus on cancer control and prevention activities that have the potential to significantly decrease cancer disparities, especially in breast and lung cancer. The researchers will have access to resources at both the Wistar Institute and the Graham Cancer Center.
