Dr. Lori A. Alfonse

Philosophy of care | I pride myself on taking care of people, not diseases or body parts. | People come with histories, belief systems, truths and misconceptions about their diagnoses based on their prior experiences and those of others. I try to understand and appreciate where they’re coming from and all aspects of their life when treating them. | A cancer diagnosis can be frightening, and I don’t take that lightly. Patients allow me into their lives at what may be the scariest time ever for them. I try to include the family in treatment because family is important and the diagnosis involves everybody, not just one person. | I’m a member of the breast cancer multidisciplinary consultation team. Together, we review your diagnostic information and give you a written opinion reflecting the scope of your condition and recommendations for your best course of care. | Why I entered medicine | I was born and raised in Allentown, and Lehigh Valley Health Network has been part of my family as long as I can remember. | I grew up on the South Side of Allentown, not far from the LVH–Cedar Crest campus when it was a single building in what seemed the middle of a cornfield. My mother was treated for breast and lung cancer there. My father was treated for Legionnaire’s disease there. My brother was treated there for osteochondrosarcoma, a bone and cartilage cancer. I came from a family of blue-collar workers and nobody had been to college, but my family’s experience with cancer and disease inspired me to go to medical school and become a cancer surgeon. | Community involvement | I’m part of anything affiliated with breast cancer fundraising. I don’t belong to a lot of philanthropic organizations outside the hospital, but I participate in any activities the hospital sponsors, particularly when they’re related to breast cancer. | Personal interests | I collect shoes, and have for many years. Some are vintage or from notable designers who people might know from various TV shows, like Manolo Blahnik. I have a room in my home just for shoes, but they’re not strictly for display – I wear them every day. | As a woman in medicine who takes care of predominantly women, this is something fun I can share. In fact, I’ve become known for it, so new patients often look first at my feet to see what I’m wearing! I also enjoy Peloton, which is a type of stationary exercise bike with a large screen that allows you to connect with a community of users. It’s like a fitness Facebook except everybody doesn’t know all your business. My username is HellonHeelz.

Dr. Alfonse is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Breast Cancer. Her top areas of expertise are Breast Cancer, Paget Disease of the Breast, Angiosarcoma, Inflammatory Breast Cancer, and Lymphadenectomy.