Alberta-made blood test could improve breast cancer screening, but when?

At just 32 years old, Katie Smith parent got a lump. It was 13 years before breast cancer screening typically began for most women in Alberta.

“I thought it was nothing. I googled it and thought it might be a fibroadenoma, which is very common in women in their 20s and 30s,” Smith-Parent said.

Several months later, under the direction of a new doctor, she followed up with a mammogram, which, probably due to the density typical of young breasts, came back clear.

It wasn’t until she had an ultrasound that she was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer. She finished chemo last year.

But researchers behind groundbreaking technology developed in Calgary hope to streamline the screening process by providing a simple blood test that can detect breast cancer in its early stages.

“We detected a unique signature for detecting an active breast cancer signature,” said Dr. Kenneth Fuh, one of the co-founders of Syantra, said. “We processed more than 2,200 clinical samples.”

The results are more than 90 percent accurate, and available for purchase to those interested in a test, provided they have a signed doctor’s requisition.

But the costs are not yet covered by the province or insurers, outside of health spending accounts. And doctors may be reluctant to sign unfamiliar requisitions.

“We have more traction in provinces other than Alberta.”

“We have great interest in these tests in European markets,” Fuh said, referring to discussions this week with health authorities in Spain. “They are looking at the national implementation of this test in their country.”

In a statement in response to Global News’ questions about the regulatory approval process, the Alberta Ministry of Health said it “met with the company’s leaders to learn more about their test and explore opportunities for collaboration,” but there is not enough evidence in support of the test yet.

“There is currently insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of the test, alone or as an adjunctive test, for breast cancer screening,” it said. “As a result, no jurisdiction in Canada recommends the test as a valid screening modality for breast cancer.

“However, we wish them the best of luck with the approval process and hope as always to use local products that meet the strict criteria for public use.”

For those like Smith-Parent, without symptoms or family history, opting for early screening isn’t always an obvious choice.

For now, she has a clean bill of health.

“The fact that I was diagnosed at Stage 2 and was able to go through treatment and be a survivor is really different than when I was diagnosed at Stage 4.”

But in addition to the physically demanding process of chemo, Smith-Parent still faces other challenges related to her diagnosis.

Hormone suppressants to control estrogen in her body will make any desire to get pregnant difficult. And then there is the uncertainty of the cancer’s reappearance, which is monitored only by Smith-Parent self-exams, and annual mammograms and ultrasounds.

It’s all part of the reason she’s now pushing with Syantra for more testing options, earlier.

“The earlier you can do any kind of detection, the more lives you can save,” Smith-Parent said.

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