Quantifying the Economic Burden and Research Funding Gap for Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC): A Short-Term Policy Analysis to Support Increased Federal Funding

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Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) accounts for about 10–15% of breast cancer cases in the U.S. but receives a disproportionately small fraction of breast cancer research funding. Incidence rates for invasive lobular carcinoma have increased more drastically than all other breast cancers combined between 2012 and 2021, according to findings from the American Cancer Society’s Lobular Breast Cancer Statistics 2025 report (American Cancer Society Journals). With U.S. breast cancer costs exceeding $30 billion annually, dedicated ILC research grants total only a small percentage. Because ILC has distinct biological and diagnostic features and higher late-recurrence rates, inadequate research investment may lead to missed opportunities for cost-saving innovation. This project produces an economic gap analysis quantifying how federal research dollars for ILC compare to its share of the disease burden, generating policy recommendations backed by analysis.