It is with great sadness that we must share the news of the passing of
Silvia Ingrid Knoll-Pflugbeil, a dedicated patient advocate and valued member of the ELBCC.
She passed away peacefully on 17th October 2025.
Her husband, Stephan, described her as “a great fighting heart” whose international work for the well-being of women affected by lobular breast cancer meant so much to her.
Silvia was known as a passionate and fierce advocate.
With her strong background in haematology from her work in the pharmaceutical industry, she brought wealth of knowledge, insight and determination to her advocacy work.
She was not only a tireless advocate but also a trusted collaborator and a loyal friend who inspired everyone she worked with.
Her personal journey in oncology began at university, with a master’s thesis in psycho-oncology.
Following her own diagnosis of de novo secondary invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) in 2022, Silvia felt a calling to raise awareness for this breast cancer subtype.
In 2023, she joined the ELBCC as a Patient Advocate for Austria, bringing her experience, energy, and commitment to supporting patient empowerment through education and knowledge.
- Co-authoring the ELBCAdvocates abstract and poster for SABCS 2023
- Co-Organizing the ILC-Symposium in Leuven in 2024
- Serving as a research advocate for the DELILA programme, focusing on disease extent in stage IV ILC
- Ongoing local advocacy work in Austria
- Participation in national and international breast cancer conferences
- Co-Leading the ELBCC metastatic ILC working group
- Reviewing key scientific articles
Silvia’s insight, dedication, and warmth will be greatly missed by all of us ELBCAdvocates, the research field and among the many patients whose lives she touched.
She will be deeply missed, but her spirit and commitment will continue to guide our efforts and the difference she made will live on.
We extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends, and to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.
With heartfelt sympathy,
The ELBCAdvocates
