Founding Advocates
The Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA) was founded by a handful of women with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) who decided to take action and do more for others facing the same diagnosis.
In 2016 a group of women with ILC attended the first International Lobular Breast Cancer Symposium. At that time, ILC was just beginning to be recognized as a breast cancer type with distinct molecular make up and behaviors. Emerging from the conference and angered by the lack of research into ILC and awareness about this breast cancer type, the women committed to actively raise awareness about ILC, form alliances, and provide a forum through which to support patients with ILC, and advocate vocally for more ILC research. Early in 2017, they launched the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance to address these needs.Â
Leigh Pate was a public affairs consultant, communications specialist, writer, trained cancer research advocate, two-time cancer patient, and Founder of Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA). In 2016, she attended the first International Lobular Breast Cancer Symposium, and the following year, lead the formation and growth of LBCA as Coordinator and Executive Director until Spring 2020.
Leigh remained active and committed to LBCA’s growth and success until she passed due to ovarian cancer on June 25, 2022. Read our reflections on the passing of Leigh and visit her tribute page.
Janice Axelrod, MD, is a retired physician gynecologic oncologist, who devoted her professional life to treating women with gynecologic malignancies and was a member and principle investigator of the Gynecology Oncology Group, a research group for gynecologic malignancies. Now retired and a lobular breast cancer survivor, she is focused on breast cancer research advocacy and serves as Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance’s (LBCA) Volunteer Research and Communication Officer. Her interests include research, patient education, and reaching out to clinicians about lobular breast cancer. More …
Meg Kotler, Kensington, BSN, MPH, was a registered nurse with a specialty in public health. As a two-time breast cancer survivor, she was committed to advocacy and patient education about this disease.
LBCA honors the memory of our friend and dedicated advocate, Meg, who passed on January 20, 2022. Visit her tribute page.
Julia Katherine Levine was Lead Research Advocate and Publications/Clinical Trials Curator, metastatic breast cancer survivor and a founding member of Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA). She was committed to advocating, researching, and educating patients, clinicians, and others about lobular breast cancer and in particular, metastatic lobular breast cancer.Â
LBCA is saddened to share the passing of our passionate and fierce advocate, Julia, to metastatic ILC on March 18, 2025. Visit her tribute page.
Diane Mapes is a journalist and patient advocate at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. She writes about research and the patient experience in the realm of prevention/risk reduction, health disparities, health economics, early detection/screening, and survivorship. Diane’s blog posts can be found on doublewhammied.com, and on her social media, @double_whammied.
Flora Migyanka is an account executive with a global oncology biotech company, a yoga teacher, and patient advocate for the University of Michigan based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is committed to raising awareness to researchers and clinicians about invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).
Barbara Neilsen was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in 2017, when there was still little awareness of lobular breast cancer as a disease distinct from the other types of breast cancer. This remains true in the medical and patient communities. Based in Ohio, Barbara is working to raise awareness and advocate for advances in detection and treatment more appropriate to this disease.
Lori Petitti is a founding member of Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA) and a former television and documentary producer. Based in Los Angeles, California, Lori’s interests involve research advocacy, mentoring newly diagnosed patients, and raising awareness on the unique aspects of lobular breast cancer.
Elizabeth Viggiano was diagnosed with de novo stage 4 metastatic invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), despite years of normal mammograms. Elizabeth was devoted to working with researchers and clinicians to improve detection and treatment of lobular breast cancer.
LBCA mourns the loss of our friend and tireless ILC research advocate, Elizabeth, who passed away on August 31, 2021. Visit her tribute page.
LBCA Scientific Advisory Board Founding Chair
Steffi Oesterreich, PhD – LBCA Scientific Advisory Board Founder, Professor and Vice Chair of Pharmacology at the University of Pittsburgh, Co-Leader of the Cancer Biology Program at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and Co-Director Magee Womens Research Institute, is a researcher with an interest in endocrine resistance in breast cancer, with a focus on invasive lobular breast cancer. She is passionate about increased understanding of development and progression of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), and enjoys working in multidisciplinary teams, along with patient advocates, with the ultimate goal to decrease suffering from this disease. More …