The Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA) is excited to share that its first ever invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) research grant has been awarded! David W. Lim, MDCM, MEd, PhD, of Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is the recipient of the 2021 Conquer Cancer – Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Young Investigator Award (YIA) for Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Research. Hear what Dr. Lim has to say about his background, the aims of his recently funded study, and the importance of ILC research in the below video.
As noted in the video, Dr. Lim’s research, The characterization and impact of patient, tumour and treatment disparities on survival outcomes for invasive lobular breast cancer: a population-based observational cohort study, will use a healthcare database to create one of the largest cohorts of people with lobular breast cancer ever studied. Leveraging this resource, Dr. Lim will identify factors that impact survival of people with ILC, including patient factors (such as age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status) and tumor factors, variations in care and treatments received, and treatment center characteristics.
“I am profoundly honoured to receive the inaugural Young Investigator Award for ILC Research,” said Dr. Lim. “This early career development award will support my research interest in characterizing disparities in lobular breast cancer care and treatment and, importantly, how these disparities affect outcomes for ILC patients. I am truly grateful to Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, and the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance for supporting my early research career. I would like to acknowledge my scientific mentors and institutional support at Women’s College Hospital and Women’s College Research Institute (Drs. Kelly Metcalfe, Steven Narod and David Urbach), Ms. Christine McKay (LBCA member and patient advocate involved on our team), and the collaborators at ICES Ontario, without whom this endeavour would not be possible. I look forward to sharing our funded research findings at the 2022 and 2023 ASCO Annual Meetings.”
This is the first YIA grant dedicated to ILC, the second most common histological subtype of breast cancer. The YIA is a one-year, $50,000 grant to support a physician-scientist focusing on invasive lobular breast cancer research during the transition from a fellowship program to a faculty appointment. The grant period started on August 1, 2021.
“We are so thrilled to be able to make this inaugural ILC research grant with Conquer Cancer and to fund the very promising work of Dr. Lim,” said Laurie Hutcheson, executive director of LBCA. “It is so important that ILC gets more attention, as such a common and understudied breast cancer subtype warrants. Too little is still known about lobular breast disease, which unfortunately, is still treated no differently from ductal carcinoma. We anticipate that Dr. Lim’s study will help grow the body of ILC information and will make an impact on improving survival for patients with ILC. We also expect that his efforts, the good results that they yield, and the publicity they garner will inspire other young investigators to choose to focus on studying ILC.“
About Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance
Founded in 2017 by patient advocates with ILC, the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance engages patients, clinicians, and researchers to increase knowledge of lobular breast disease and promote lobular breast cancer research. Working with the guidance of an international, expert scientific advisory board of breast cancer researchers and clinicians, patient advocate volunteers, and through growing collaborations with other breast cancer advocacy organizations, Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance provides a platform for ILC research, maintains a library of current lobular breast cancer studies, and identifies clinical trials and ILC patient research advocacy opportunities with a focus on lobular breast disease.
