Siobhán Freeney is a Patient Educator and Advocate for Breast Cancer Research, specializing in Lobular Breast Cancer. Diagnosed with Stage 3c Lobular Breast Cancer in December 2015, she had never heard of the subtype until her diagnosis, which occurred six months after a ‘clear’ screening mammogram and a history of clear mammograms for several consecutive years. Her experience highlighted the lack of information on Lobular Breast Cancer, prompting her to seek more knowledge about her subtype.
In 2016, she founded Being Dense, a widely recognized source of evidence-based information for women regarding breast density and improved breast cancer screening, particularly for Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. She is a strong advocate for standardized breast density notification, aligning with the EUSOBI recommendations, and emphasizes the importance of patient engagement with breast cancer clinicians and radiologists.
She co-founded Lobular Ireland alongside breast cancer researchers from The Royal College of Surgeons and University College Dublin. Together, they have established strong connections with international partners in the UK, US, Canada, Europe, and Australia.
Since 2019, she has been a Patient Advocate with the European Lobular Breast Cancer Consortium (ELBCC) and serves on the organizing committee for the annual International Breast Cancer Symposium. Her speaking engagements include roles as a guest speaker and moderator at events such as Online 2020/21, Utrecht 2022, Pittsburgh 2023, and an upcoming event in Leuven from September 23-25, 2024.
She spoke at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Conference as a guest panelist for the AACR and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The International Cancer Prevention Institute. In January 2024, she delivered the opening keynote at the Irish National Health Educators annual conference held at The Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin.