Meet the Models, NYC: Aliza Friedlander
Aliza Friedlander is no stranger to breast cancer. Her grandmother battled the disease three times, ultimately passing away at 87 of metastatic breast cancer. Her grandmother’s decision later in her life to get genetically tested revealed she carried the BRCA1 gene. It prompted much of Aliza’s family to get tested themselves, but the early nature of testing meant the process was somewhat unknown for Aliza, only in her twenties at the time.

Testing revealed that her mother, aunt and sister were all BRCA1 positive. Her mother and aunt got full hysterectomies as a result, while her sister, in her young twenties, chose surveillance, which entailed in depth imaging and testing every six months. Aliza decided to wait and planned to get tested once she was done having children and breastfeeding. Her plan, however, changed when her sister, despite consistent monitoring, was diagnosed with stage 3 DCIS breast cancer at 32 years old. She would go on to have an intense treatment plan and after witnessing it, Aliza moved up her timeline to get tested. In 2024 Aliza tested positive for BRCA1 and by March of that year she had a preventive double mastectomy.

Her entire journey through the breast cancer world expanded when she saw Kristin Dahlgren on the Today Show discussing various breast cancer vaccines. Aliza notes now little vaccines are discussed in any type of treatment plan for women. It has motivated her to partner with Kristen at the Cancer Vaccine Coalition, which aims to break down barriers by building awareness, eliminating silos and funding critical trials to shave years off of the breast cancer vaccine development process. Both Kristin and Aliza will hit the runway in February to honor their journeys.