PAVING the Path to Wellness

Overview

Based on the principles of lifestyle medicine, PAVING the Path to Wellness is a 12-week program which provides education on the importance of physical activity, healthy eating, sleep, stress management, and the power of personal connections for individuals of all ages with a diagnosis of breast cancer.

Participants in this program take each step together, and share personal strategies and solutions for positive lifestyle changes, both during and after treatment for breast cancer. The PAVING program empowers participants to adopt and sustain healthy habits for a lifetime. Participants benefit from the supportive, collaborative environment. The program is currently being offered in a virtual format.

The PAVING program for breast cancer survivors was developed by Amy Comander, MD in collaboration with Beth Frates, MD.

Program Details

This 12-week program is designed to enhance your body, mind and spirit both after and during breast cancer treatment, with the goal to help you achieve your optimal level of wellness.

The PAVING program features guest speakers on numerous topics that are of importance for breast cancer survivors, including sexual health, physical therapy, behavioral health, integrative medicine (the role of yoga, acupuncture, and music therapy), nutrition, and culinary medicine.

Where: This program will be held virtually.

When: Twice a year (spring and fall).

Cost: Free (The PAVING program has been generously funded by charitable contributions to the Mass General Cancer Center.)

Registration: To register and learn more, please email WellnessAfterCancer@partners.org.
Space is limited. Participants are encouraged to participate in the full 12-week program.

Group Leaders: Amy Comander, MD; Elizabeth Abraham, RN; Stephanie Eisenstat, MD; Dana Haggett, NP; and Hannah Lee, MS.

Workbook: View the PAVING the Path to Wellness workbook here. (Workbook is provided free to program participants.)

Alumni Newsletter: Our newsletter helps PAVING participants stay connected with one another after the program ends, and includes updates on events, participants' stories, recipes, wellness tips, and much more.

FAQs

Who can participate in the PAVING program?
Anyone treated for breast cancer in the Mass General Brigham system is eligible to join the PAVING program.

How long are the meetings?
We meet once a week for ninety minutes.

How large are the groups?
Exact sizes vary, but we generally have 10-12 members per group.

PAVING Participant Testimonials

"The PAVING program has been so important for me because it connected me to others who've gone through cancer treatment. My PAVING pals immediately understand what I'm talking about when I express a concern or fear. In fact, these are the only people I can talk to openly about breast cancer and that's been invaluable in helping me move forward in my life. Cancer will always be a part of my life but I want to keep it in perspective, and PAVING and my PAVING pals have helped me do just that."

“I am so very grateful for your course! It was amazing! I have made so many subtle but important lifestyle changes! I am feeling great as a result.”

“Thank you again for the program. I recently listed all the things I’ve changed in my life based on the program and recommended readings. I was amazed. I’ve changed so much for the better. Feels great!”

“Thirteen of us from our PAVING cohort were interested in continuing to meet. We had a Zoom call on Wednesday night and we shared our cancer journeys for about an hour and a half. It was magical and I can't put into words the support and camaraderie I felt. It was amazing! We are planning to meet in person in a few weeks and we will set a regular meeting on Zoom and in person (alternating) to continue to pursue wellness and learn and support each other. Thank you for all you do. You make a difference every single day.”

“Each week we explored one of the twelve elements of wellness. The support, expert resources and process of exploration were excellent. The knowledge and fresh perspectives that I gained have been truly life changing. I will be paying it forward and forever grateful to Dr Amy Comander, the PAVING Team and fellow participants for creating this amazing opportunity."

“Paving the Path reinforced everything I needed to do to get back to being healthy. Exercise and physical activity generally, nutrition, sleep… there are 12 different chapters, different things that we would do each week. It made you think about your purpose in life. I think for me what was really powerful with the group was to be able to share with people who've had a life-threatening experience. We were supportive of each other, which you’d get with any group of friends, but in this group everything was amplified because of everyone's experiences."

“It was really helpful to be able to converse with other people going through similar experiences and with experts who could talk with authority about the symptoms you’d be experiencing. It was great to have the camaraderie of the Paving the Path program group. It was really powerful."

News

• A Legacy of Compassion: One Doctor’s Commitment to Holistic Care
  Lifestyle medicine physician Amy Comander, MD, inherited a passion for medicine from her parents that she is now passing on to her patients. Read more.
• An Unstoppable Mother and Daughter Team
  Judy Levine, with the help of her mother, a team of doctors and the guidance of the PAVING the Path to Wellness Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, makes her way through a breast cancer diagnosis. Read more.

Publication

Comander A, Frates B, Tollefson M. PAVING the Path to Wellness for Breast Cancer Survivors: Lifestyle Medicine Education and Group Interventions. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2021 Jan 29;15(3):242-248. doi: 10.1177/1559827620986066. PMID: 34025314; PMCID: PMC8120622.