About LBBC

"You have breast cancer." These four words can change your life forever, forcing you to face many complex medical, psychosocial, emotional, legal and financial challenges.

You are not in this alone. Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) is dedicated to assisting you, whether you are newly diagnosed, in treatment, recently completed treatment, are years beyond or are living with advanced (metastatic) disease. We are also here for your family members, caregivers, friends and healthcare providers to provide breast cancer information and support.

As a national education and support organization, our goal is to improve your quality of life and help you take an active role in your ongoing recovery or management of the disease, regardless of educational background, social support or financial means. We hope the information and support offered on this site brings you comfort, empowers you to ask questions and enables you to make sound choices about healthcare that will help you manage a breast cancer diagnosis, through treatment and beyond.

Our Mission

To empower all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life.

Our History

LBBC was founded in 1991 by radiation oncologist Marisa C. Weiss, MD, in response to a woman's need for breast-cancer-related information, connection and support after completing treatment. In our early years, Dr. Weiss ran LBBC out of the third floor of her home using volunteers. Few resources existed for women affected by breast cancer, and LBBC focused exclusively on the post-treatment experience. In 1996, Jean A. Sachs, MSS, MLSP, became Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s first executive director (now chief executive officer). Ms. Sachs has increased LBBC’s budget from $100,000 to more than $3 million per year, increased the size of the staff and expanded our programs and services.

Today, LBBC has expanded to assist women at all stages of diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Our mission includes offering specialized programs and services for the newly diagnosed, young women, women with advanced breast cancer, women at high risk for developing the disease, and African-American and Latina women. We also offer programs for caregivers and healthcare professionals to help them better meet the needs of women affected by breast cancer.

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