CRANBERRY TWP — Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute's 15th Healing Journey event, a celebration of cancer survivorship, will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 27 at the DoubleTree Hilton in Cranberry.

Healing Journey is a free event offering fellowship and education to people who have fought or are fighting cancer.

Jodi Lech, a co-chairwoman for Healing Journey, has been an organizer of this event since its inception and said she is happy with how it has grown.

The idea for this event was launched when a drug company in partnership with Allegheny Health Network offered to bring a speaker to a hotel and host it like a conference.

“Staff got involved and just kind of launched it,” Lech said, “and they try to make it better and better every year. A lot of people have come 10 years in a row.”

Lech said participation varies annually, but Healing Journey has seen more than 500 participants at once before.

“It usually stays in the 250-300 range,” Lech said. “I know there's a bus coming out of Butler and that's really one of the coolest things. Usually a transportation company in Butler will donate a bus and driver and bring about 40 to 60 people down, that way patients don't have to drive.”

Registration for patients, survivors and guests and provided breakfast will be from 8 to 9 a.m. and immediately followed by keynote speakers, demonstrations on advancements in cancer-fighting technology and techniques, and a free lunch.

Dr. Sarah Miller, a physician with Allegheny Health Network, said she has been part of this event for seven years and said that it is a “very positive experience.”

“The patients really like getting together with other patients for the sense of fellowship and support,” Miller said. “The patients get tips on how to handle side effects of treatment, meet others and derive support from their experiences. It kind of gives them a mental boost to keep fighting their disease.”

Lech said one of her favorite parts of the event is the opportunity to “get a day away from doctor's appointments, scans and lab work.”

“It's a really nice day to celebrate survivorship and for patients going through treatment to know that there is a destination here,” she said. “All our doctors, nurses, pharmacists — the entire cancer team volunteers and comes to the event, so it's nice to see your professional caregivers outside that hospital environment.”

Miller said the conference is open to current patients and all survivors, regardless of where they received treatment.

“It's a good mixture of both,” Miller said.

She said she was excited to see “all the positive experiences that come from the event and the mental boost to the patients walking away with all the knowledge and services to help with their journey.”

Miller also will be speaking at the event about integrative and complementary treatments. She gave the example of acupuncture, massage and mindfulness sessions as points in her topic, all of which will be introduced as more complementary care to traditional cancer treatments in an upcoming, new Allegheny Health Network department.

This year's event also features nationally renowned speakers who will share their experiences with battling cancer as an individual and as a couple, and coping with stress.

Keynote speakers include Dan Shapiro, a psychologist and Penn State College of Medicine humanities department chairman. He has experienced cancer as both a patient as a survivor of Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed when he was in his 20s and as a caregiver with his wife being a breast cancer survivor.

Also speaking is Lauren E. Miller, a stress relief and personal excellence educator. Miller is the founder and managing partner of Grab & Go Stress Solutions. She has dealt with the stress of divorce and advanced cancer at the same time.

Completing the slate of presentators is Matt Light, who is in remission from Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was named Best Comedian in Pittsburgh for 2014 and 2015 by Pittsburgh Magazine.

“Typically, cancer comedians have been very well-received,” Lech said of the speakers. “They have taken something tragic in their life and turned it around and made other people smile.”

Lech said she's excited to showcase the Allegheny Health Network team.

“For many years we've brought in speakers from outside the region,” she said, “but it was very easy to find our own local health agents for this event, and we are one of the largest free programs in Pittsburgh dedicated to cancer survivorship.”

Healing Journey is primarily sponsored by Allegheny Health Network Oncology Network, a provider of community-based medical oncology and hematology services.

For more information, call 412-770-1818 or email healingjourney@wpaon.org.