Boston, MA, USA, March 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Launches “Match the Million” Challenge to Double Historic Gift
This Women’s History Month, Lume Deodorant founder and lobular breast cancer survivor, Dr. Shannon Klingman, has made a historic $1 million gift to the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA) to fund critically needed research into invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).
Dr. Klingman and LBCA are aiming to double the impact of her gift by issuing a fundraising challenge. With funds raised, LBCA will fund four clinical research studies which will accelerate the discovery of an effective treatment for lobular breast cancer.
ILC, also known as lobular breast cancer, is the least studied form of breast cancer and hardest to detect. Very few people have heard of it, but it is the second most common breast cancer type and more common than ovarian cancer. ILC comprises 10–15% of all breast cancers with up to 48,000 new diagnoses each year in the US, and the incidence is rising. Despite this, ILC has been neglected in research, receiving less than 1% of breast cancer research funding.
“When I was diagnosed, I had never heard of lobular breast cancer,” said Dr. Klingman. “Even as an OBGYN, we don’t talk enough about the differences between breast cancer. It is critically important we understand that lobular breast cancer is a completely different disease. I realized then I needed to tell my story…and immediately asked where is the (research) funding? This is now my focus in life – investing in lobular breast cancer research. LBCA moves quickly to put funding to work, and I wanted to be part of that.”
LBCA is a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing awareness, education, and research for lobular breast cancer.
“We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Klingman for this wonderful gift and her recognition that LBCA is one of the best organizations to advance ILC research,” said Laurie Hutcheson, LBCA Executor Director and 7-year ILC survivor. “With this gift, we will be able to launch a competitive process to find and fund cutting edge ILC-focused research. We are hopeful it will accelerate understanding of this troubling breast cancer subtype that has been neglected for far too long. With our challenge to match her amazing gift, we will fund even more ILC research and the impact will be doubled.”
ILC: A Type of Breast Cancer
ILC is a distinct type of breast cancer that behaves differently from more common breast cancers. ILC cells typically grow in thin strands instead of forming a lump which makes them extremely hard to detect on mammograms, especially in women with dense breast tissue, or elsewhere in the body if metastasized. It is often only diagnosed once tumors are larger and sometimes already metastatic and is known to recur later than other breast cancer types. Since ILC tumors are hard to measure, patients with ILC of all stages are often excluded from clinical trials making discovery of lobular specific treatments nearly impossible.
To make your gift to the “Match the Million” challenge, visit https://tinyurl.com/LBCAMatchTheMillionChallenge, the fundraiser will run through the end of May, National Cancer Research Month.
About the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA)
Founded in 2017 by individuals with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), LBCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of ILC and the need for more ILC research. As the only organization in the US dedicated to lobular breast disease, LBCA is committed to making all who are touched by ILC aware of its unique characteristics and the critical need for more ILC research. LBCA is the go-to source for information on lobular breast cancer including current studies, lobular-specific clinical trials, and educational content and resources patients can use in conversations with their care teams available in over 15 languages. LBCA is committed to promoting and funding vital ILC research. The organization is guided by an international scientific advisory board of researchers and clinicians, and a patient advocate advisory board and partners with patients, scientists, clinicians, and breast cancer organizations worldwide to increase dialogue and collaboration about ILC research. Visit the LBCA website at lobularbreastcancer.org.