The Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA) is a volunteer-based national network of patient-advocates working with breast cancer researchers and clinicians. Learn more.
LBCA’s mission is to bridge patients, clinicians and researchers to increase our knowledge of lobular breast disease and promote research that leads to advances in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and patient follow-up care.
LBCA is a project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, a registered public charity.
LBCA c/o SEE 23532 Calabasas Road, Suite A Calabasas, CA 91302 info@lobularbreastcancer.org
LBCA Coordinators
Leigh Pate, Seattle, WA: I am a public affairs consultant, communications specialist, a writer and a three-time cancer patient. I want to build an effective advocacy voice for patients with ILC.
Lori Petitti, CA: I am a television and documentary producer. My focus is research advocacy and raising the awareness on the unique aspects of lobular breast cancer
LBCA Scientific Advisory Board
Steffi Oesterreich, PhD – LBCA Scientific Advisory Board Chair: Dr Oesterreich is a Professor and Vice-Chair of Pharmacology at the University of Pittsburgh, and Director of Education at the Womens Cancer Research Center at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Magee Womens Research Institute. Her research interest is endocrine resistance in breast cancer, with a focus on invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC). She is passionate about increased understanding of development and progression of ILC, and enjoys working in multi-disciplinary teams, along with patient advocates, with the ultimate goal to decrease suffering from this disease.
Nancy E. Davidson, MD Dr. Davidson is a world-renowned breast cancer researcher who serves as Senior Vice President and Director of the Clinical Research Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, President and Executive Director of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and Head of the Division of Oncology at the University of Washington. More …
Rachel C. Jankowitz, MD University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
I am an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. My research focus includes study of invasive lobular breast cancer (ILC), endocrine resistance and signaling for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, and breast cancer clinical trials. I have served as PI and/or co-investigator on many breast cancer clinical trials, and I am an active investigator in both the TBCRC and the NSABP. I am particularly focused on study of biomarkers and treatment options for patients with ILC.
Christopher I. Li, MD, PhD, Program Head and Full Member Translational Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Dr. Li is a cancer epidemiologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center with research projects spanning cancer early detection/screening, etiology, and survivorship. He has significant expertise in cancer epidemiology and substantial experience in the design, leadership, and completion of multidisciplinary studies of cancer. More …
Otto Metzger, MD, Breast Oncology Center at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center
I am a clinical investigator focused on the development of therapies for breast cancer treatment. My principal research effort is focused on investigating two subtypes of breast cancer: invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and HER2+ breast cancer. I also maintain an active clinical practice in the Breast Oncology Center at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center. More …
Christos Sotiriou, MD, PhD, Head of the J.-C. Heuson Breast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Head of Clinic at the Medical Oncology Department, Institut Jules Bordet; Research Director (tenured position) at the Belgian Fund for Scientific Research – FNRS (October 2017) More …
Gary A. Ulaner, MD, PhD, Associate Attending Radiologist; Associate Member, Tenure-track Department of Radiology Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Gary A Ulaner is an Associate Attending Radiologist and Associate Member at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is dual board-certified radiologist and nuclear medicine, and focuses on FDG PET/CT and novel radiotracer development for patients with breast cancer. More …
Featured LBCA Patient Research Advocates
Janice Axelrod, Pittsburgh PA: I am a physician who devoted her life to treating women with gynecologic malignancies. Now I am a retired oncologist, a breast cancer survivor devoting my life to breast cancer advocacy.
Marilyn McWilliams, Portland OR: When I was diagnosed 22 years ago, the local Medical School library had almost no information about my disease. I became a patient advocate to increase research about lobular breast cancer.
Meg Kotler, Kensington MD: I am a registered nurse with a specialty in public health. As a two time breast cancer survivor, I am committed to advocacy and patient education about this disease.
Flora Migyanka, Ann Arbor MI: I am an account executive with a global oncology biotech company, a yoga teacher and patient advocate for the University of Michigan. I am committed to raising awareness to researchers and clinicians about ILC.
Julia Levine, CA: I am a metastatic breast cancer survivor and a patient advocate committed to raising awareness of metastatic lobular breast cancer. I am most interested in research and research advocacy to help researchers and organizations that study metastatic and lobular breast cancer.
Diane Mapes, Seattle WA: I’m a journalist and patient advocate working at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. I write about research and the patient experience in the realm of prevention/risk reduction; health disparities; health economics; early detection/screening and survivorship. I blog and tweet as @double_whammied.