Four MATTER startups advancing breast cancer care

One in eight women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. The good news: Better screening, early detection and improvements in treatment options are leading to better outcomes for people affected by this disease.

To close out Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re highlighting MATTER startups that are using technology to transform breast cancer care from screening to surgery. We asked these startups: How is your company advancing care for those living with breast cancer?

Mo Abdolell, CEO of Densitas
Densitas develops advanced machine learning technologies that deliver on-demand actionable insights to radiologists on every acquired mammogram to improve the effectiveness of breast screening. Densitas solutions are focused on improving mammography quality and tailoring follow-up breast screening protocols. Insights derived from digital mammograms and shared with women empower informed decision making and self-advocacy.

Andrew Cittadine, CEO of Diagnostic Photonics
Breast-conserving surgery is the most common surgery for women with breast cancer, but 20% to 40% of women have a repeat surgery because some of the cancer is missed. Each repeat surgery costs $16,352 and results in a 49% higher complication rate. Diagnostic Photonics (DxP) helps surgeons see cancer with a handheld, high-resolution imaging probe. An initial 46-patient, multi-center study at Johns Hopkins showed the potential for the Foresee™ to find missed cancer and reduce repeat breast surgeries by 63%. The company is planning a larger study for FDA clearance.

Chad McClennan, CEO of Koios Medical
Women whose breast exams show a suspicious lesion spend a lot of time worrying over the unknown. Koios Medical applies the power of AI and machine learning to diagnostic breast ultrasound exams, based on thousands of prior cases. Improved accuracy results in treatment interventions earlier with better outcomes and survival.

• Even the best physicians miss cancers early on. Accurate early detection is paramount.
• Mammograms can miss cancers in women with dense breast tissue.
• Cancer is four to six times more likely in women with extremely dense breasts. Koios Smart Ultrasound™ simply “sees more” — a new weapon in the battle against breast cancer.

Alexei Mlodinow, President and CEO of Surgical Innovation Associates
Surgical Innovation Associates (SIA) is committed to bringing better outcomes to patients and lowering costs to the system through “for surgeon, by surgeon” innovation in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. Breast reconstruction is a cornerstone of cancer care in the 21st century, with well-validated improvements to psychosexual outcomes and federally-mandated coverage by commercial insurers in the US. SIA has multiple devices in development, including some used to make prosthetic breast reconstruction safer and easier, while improving cosmetic results. As friends and relatives of breast cancer survivors, we love to contribute in any way possible to both treatment and survivorship.