Steps to sure | San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) | December 2021

Feb 17, 2022

“I really believe that it won’t be long until our test has the potential to impact the standard of care in breast cancer screening.” 

In most occupations, recognition of one’s work by peers is affirming. In medical research, peer validation is a critical element of the scientific process. For Syantra Inc., a precision medicine company based in Alberta, it’s also a key step on the road to sure.


Last fall, organizers at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) provided an opportunity for Syantra to present interim results from the company’s ongoing international clinical study, Identify Breast Cancer (IDBC), to show the performance of the Syantra DX | Breast Cancer screening test. 


Dr. Kenneth Fuh, Syantra co-founder and director of product development, speaks to why this was a significant juncture for the team.

What was the significance of the SABCS opportunity for Syantra?

Every year, the SABCS attracts thousands of attendees from more than 80 countries with the objective of providing a forum for interaction, communication and education around breast cancer. This was a fantastic opportunity for Syantra as it provided a platform to present our IDBC interim results to an international audience of academic and industry-based physicians and researchers.

What do you think conference organizers are looking for when they select presenters for the symposium?

The most important criteria are scientific validity and robustness of the experimental design and statistical approach to inform research outcomes and results. Conference organizers typically look for studies that have the potential to affect the standard of care in breast cancer detection, treatment, and monitoring.

What was the moment like when you found out you’d be presenting at SABCS?

I was very excited at the possibility of sharing our first results with several thousand conference attendees... It was the culmination of years of work in planning and executing our clinical study and developing the Syantra DX | Breast Cancer test.

Why did the team decide to present interim results at this juncture?

We had generated good clinical evidence through our prospective clinical studies and we knew that the findings were strong. Going through the laboratory accreditation process had also validated our analytical and statistical approaches, so it was time to get our information into a forum where it could be seen by both the academic and clinical communities.

How were your findings received at the symposium?

Attendees we interacted with were very excited about our approach, as we are the first company to show very good overall performance in screening for breast cancer from a small sample of blood. An outcome of our time at the conference has been increased awareness of Syantra DX | Breast Cancer, and an expansion of our collaborative network. I really believe that it won’t be long until our test has the potential to impact the standard of care in breast cancer screening.

Learn more about the Syantra DX | Breast Cancer screening test Learn more about the Syantra DX | Breast Cancer clinical studies
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