PITTSBURGH -- This year almost 1.5 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed.

Many of those patients will undergo chemotherapy and probably lose their hair.

That can be devastating, especially for women.

Marina Posvar knows that firsthand.

She was first diagnosed with breast cancer 15 years ago.

Only in her 30s, she had two small children.

Posvar said, “Needless to say it was quite devastating. I went through chemo, radiation, surgery.”

Five years after that, she was diagnosed with a second breast cancer and had major surgery.

“At one moment you can be angry, at another moment you can just be feeling really down, at other moment you can feel really strong,” Posvar said.

During her chemo treatments, Posvar lost her hair.

At first she didn’t feel comfortable attending a cancer support group, but then she found the American Cancer Society’s Look Good, Feel Better.

Povsvar said, “They show you how to put on makeup if you lose eyebrows and eyelashes. They give you hints on how to care for skin. They give you hints on how to care for skin, nails; they have wigs you can try on. I found when I looked better I felt better.”

Women who attend the Look Good, Feel Better class leave with a bag of makeup donated by leading cosmetic companies.

They also get a Satchel of Caring bag filled with items like a journal, note cards and literature on cancer support groups.

The bags are all handmade by local women.

Now cancer-free for 10 years, Posvar uses her experience to help newly diagnosed cancer patients at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

She greets all new patients and offers what she’s learned in her own cancer battle.

“From my experience I can tell you that the range of emotions is unbelievable. I'm available to guide them throughout their journey. Just sometimes, just a touch or a word can mean all the difference in the world to someone," she said.

Posvar makes sure the patients know there is somebody to whom they can talk. "You are not just a number and that we really do care about you and we're here for you in any way, shape or form," she said.

Debbie Mancuso is a hair replacement specialist.

She helps cancer patients find wigs, scarves and hats at her salon in the Hillman Center.

She often sees patients soon after they are given the devastating news.

Mancuso said, “Most of the time they've just been diagnosed and been told they're going to lose their hair.”

She helps women pick out wigs or scarves and hats if they choose to not wear a wig.

Wigs can cost anywhere from $150 to more than $500, but most insurance companies don't cover the cost, something Mancuso strongly believes needs to change.

“It's definitely part of recovery. Just feeling good about themselves makes a huge difference in their recovery," she said.

The American Cancer Society does provide a $75 voucher to defray the cost of a wig.

And Mancuso and Posvar said there are often other programs to help women who can’t afford the price of a wig.