Dr. Fancher had the experience of being simultaneously a patient with cancer and an oncology pharmacy specialist.

Karen M. Fancher, PharmD, BCOP, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Duquesne University School of Pharmacy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Duquesne University School of Pharmacy and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, followed by a Specialty Residency in Oncology Pharmacy Practice at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa. She then spent almost 10 years as a Clinical Pharmacist in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Division at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center before returning to Pittsburgh to work with the West Penn Allegheny Oncology Network.

Dr. Fancher currently practices at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center at Passavant Hospital. Her research interests include chronic leukemias, lymphomas, and ethics in oncology.

Dr. Fancher was diagnosed with Stage IIA breast cancer at age 39, after her first, and what turned out to be her only, routine screening mammogram. She has had the somewhat uncommon experience of being simultaneously a patient with cancer and an oncology pharmacy specialist. She can contribute a unique perspective to topics such as choosing your medical team, being your own advocate, and parenting during cancer.