Beyond the Lectures: Reflections from the 2026 SBI Breast Imaging Symposium in Seattle
By Drs. Fatima Haqqani and Olivia Akker
Attending the 2026 SBI Breast Imaging Symposium in Seattle felt especially meaningful at this stage of our careers as current fellows at Moffitt Cancer Center and first-time attendees. The meeting is thoughtfully designed to bring together breast radiologists from all walks of life, trainees to seasoned breast imagers, with programming that spans foundational topics like BI-RADS® to emerging advances in multidisciplinary breast care. From a pure academic standpoint, the conference delivered at the highest level. The programming reflected the rapid evolution of breast imaging, with thoughtful discussions on advances in artificial intelligence, risk stratification, and the ongoing refinement of screening protocols.
We arrived on Tuesday, welcomed by a typical drizzly Seattle night. We were lucky enough to be able to attend the Pre-Course on contrast-enhanced mammography, the following day. This allowed us to learn more about a functional imaging modality with which we haven’t yet had firsthand experience. There were informative lectures ranging from the implementation of CEM to interpretation, biopsy logistics, and important contrast reaction management. After the lectures, we were able to go through cases on our workstations and at our own pace to really cement what we had spent the day learning.
The following day the Symposium officially started, and of course, the star of the show was the newly released BI-RADs manual. The morning started with announcements by the incoming president, Dr. Gary Whitman. Then, we jumped right into the updates in the manual with amazing speakers, including Drs. Mary Newell, Stamatia Destounis, Jessica Leung, Wendy DeMartini, outgoing SBI president Dr. Peter Eby, and finishing up with Drs. Janice Sung and Ethan Cohen. Dr. Roberta Strigel guided us through some tricky BI-RADS cases. Finishing up the morning sessions was our very own Dr. Dana Ataya, discussing BI-RADS and the other organ-specific reporting and data systems that have emerged from it, and what they can teach us moving forward. The afternoon sessions covered a breadth of topics ranging from burnout to biopsy tips, covering much in between.
The focus on Day 2 was the advances in multidisciplinary breast care. We began with announcements and introductions by Dr. Linda Moy and jumped right into navigating the axilla with Dr. Ana Lourenco. Moffitt’s own Dr. Bethany Niell shared current research into active monitoring of DCIS. Dr. Samantha Heller provided updates on the ever-changing landscape of high-risk lesions. Dr. Eby then introduced the SBI Gold Medalist, Dr. Wendie Berg, followed by an insightful video highlighting her amazing contributions to the world of breast imaging. The 2026 SBI Honorary Fellow was introduced as Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Although she was unable to attend, she shared a heartfelt video about her own journey with breast cancer and how she aims to help our patients on a state and national level. Following the morning sessions, there was a multidisciplinary tumor board-style discussion with representatives from breast imaging, surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, and medical genetics, moderated by Dr. Brian N. Dontchos, where challenging cases were discussed with an emphasis on evidence-based standards of care. The afternoon sessions were dynamic and provided something for everyone, including the update on the importance of breast arterial calcifications and reporting them.
Friday night was the night to get on your dancing shoes for the President’s Dinner, honoring outgoing President Dr. Peter Eby, Gold Medalist Dr. Wendie A. Berg, and Honorary Fellow Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. We were lucky enough to attend as our institution Moffitt Cancer Center, along with Weill Cornell Medicine, Emory University, University of Pennsylvania, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, The University of Kansas Medical Center, and University of California, San Francisco, had purchased tables to support the SBI Research & Education Fund. We enjoyed posing for the 360-degree photobooth and eating delicious food to get the night rolling. There was an amazing band to keep the energy up, and the talented Dr. Dana Ataya, lead singer of the Moffitt band, the ReMissions, belted out a song after much encouragement from the crowd. It was a night to remember!
Following a wonderful evening, we returned on Day 3 which began with the induction of the incoming SBI president, Dr. Gary Whitman. The morning focused on future directions of breast imaging, starting with the Keynote address by Dr. Woojin Kim regarding AI in breast imaging. Following this, we heard from Drs. Dana Smetherman, Wei-Tse Yang, Yiming Gao, and Sarah Friedewald with discussions regarding private equity, work force shortages, remote work, and radiology extenders/mid-levels. Next, we were privileged to hear about the current European guidelines and recommendations from EUSOBI representative, Dr. Ritse Mann, who joined us all the way from the Netherlands. To finish the morning out, we heard from fellow trainees, Drs. Matt Hoyer, Anas Al-Zubaidi, and Jirarat Jirarayapoung, who were recognized for and presented their amazing abstracts. Following lunch, there was again a great variety of lectures to choose from. As we are nearing the end of our training, we particularly enjoyed attending the session “I’m Finishing My Dream Fellowship... Now What?” At the end of the day, we joined other trainees at the Rising Leaders Reception where we had the awesome opportunity to meet and network with SBI leadership. Overall, it was another great day!
On the final day of the conference, there was still a morning full of great lectures to be held. We heard from Drs. John Lewin, Jessica Hayward, Anand Narayan, Linda Moy, Brian Dontchos, and Janie Lee. These lectures revolved around a theme of individualized care with topics including, but not limited to, unique patient populations and disparities in care. Before the closing remarks, the morning ended with an interactive, Family Feud-style session led by Dr. Supriya Kulkarni, where participants were able to relate over and discuss shared experiences within the field. What stood out to us about the lectures over the course of the conference was not just the depth of information, but the practical framing. Many speakers emphasized real-world application, workflow integration, and patient-centered decision-making rather than theory alone.
All that said, the most impactful part of the conference was not a lecture. It was the people. As trainees, it is easy to feel somewhat siloed within our own institutions. You know your attendings, your co-fellows, your system. But stepping into a national meeting like the SBI Symposium immediately broadens that perspective. We had the opportunity to meet residents, fellows, and attending radiologists from across the country who are all navigating similar challenges, asking similar questions, and pushing the field forward in their own ways. This was seen in informal interactions between lectures, lunch time gatherings at the round tables, and scheduled social events such as the Welcome Reception (including a talent show!) and the Early Career Section sponsored Rising Leaders Reception. There is something uniquely reassuring about realizing that your uncertainties are shared. Conversations about decision-making, patient communication, and even career planning felt candid and refreshingly honest. These were real discussions between physicians who care deeply about what they do and who want to do it better. Equally important was access to leaders in the field. Many of the names we read in journals or see cited in guidelines were not just speakers but approachable, engaged participants. Being able to ask questions, discuss cases, and hear their perspectives in this setting added a level of mentorship that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.
Seattle also provided a wonderful backdrop to this amazing conference; it is a walkable city with never-ending sights to see. We were even blessed with an amazing run of four days of sunshine. This gave us the perfect opportunity to walk down to Pike Place Market for lunch and to look over the Puget Sound. We took a ferry ride across the Sound to Bainbridge Island and were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Mount Rainier peeking out from the clouds. There was delicious seafood and loads of local coffeehouses to explore. It was safe to say we never got bored between the wonderful lectures and the vibrant city.
Reflecting on the experience, we realized that while conferences are often framed around education, their true value is multidimensional. Yes, we returned with updated knowledge and a better understanding of where the field is heading. But more importantly, we returned feeling more connected, more grounded in our decision to pursue breast imaging, and more confident knowing that we are entering a specialty defined not only by innovation, but by a genuinely supportive community.
For trainees considering attending the SBI Symposium in the future, our advice is simple: go and prioritize the people as much as the lectures. Knowledge will come. But the relationships, the shared experiences, and the sense of belonging are what will stay with you long after the conference ends.
Fatima Haqqani, MD
Olivia Akker, MD