<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<FilingSummary>
  <Version>3.4.0.3</Version>
  <ProcessingTime/>
  <ReportFormat>html</ReportFormat>
  <ContextCount>56</ContextCount>
  <ElementCount>165</ElementCount>
  <EntityCount>1</EntityCount>
  <FootnotesReported>true</FootnotesReported>
  <SegmentCount>29</SegmentCount>
  <ScenarioCount>0</ScenarioCount>
  <TuplesReported>false</TuplesReported>
  <UnitCount>5</UnitCount>
  <MyReports>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R1.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100000 - Document - Document and Entity Information</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DocumentDocumentAndEntityInformation</Role>
      <ShortName>Document and Entity Information</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Cover</MenuCategory>
      <Position>1</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R2.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100010 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/StatementCONDENSEDCONSOLIDATEDBALANCESHEETSUnaudited</Role>
      <ShortName>CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Statements</MenuCategory>
      <Position>2</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R3.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100020 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (Unaudited)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/StatementCONDENSEDCONSOLIDATEDSTATEMENTSOFOPERATIONSANDCOMPREHENSIVELOSSUnaudited</Role>
      <ShortName>CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (Unaudited)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Statements</MenuCategory>
      <Position>3</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R4.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100030 - Statement - CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/StatementCONDENSEDCONSOLIDATEDSTATEMENTSOFCASHFLOWSUnaudited</Role>
      <ShortName>CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Statements</MenuCategory>
      <Position>4</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R5.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100040 - Disclosure - Company Overview</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureCompanyOverview</Role>
      <ShortName>Company Overview</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>5</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R6.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100050 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureSummaryOfSignificantAccountingPolicies</Role>
      <ShortName>Summary of Significant Accounting Policies</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>6</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R7.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100060 - Disclosure - Loss per Common Share</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureLossPerCommonShare</Role>
      <ShortName>Loss per Common Share</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>7</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R8.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100070 - Disclosure - Financial Instruments</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureFinancialInstruments</Role>
      <ShortName>Financial Instruments</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>8</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R9.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100080 - Disclosure - Royalty Agreement</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureRoyaltyAgreement</Role>
      <ShortName>Royalty Agreement</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>9</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R10.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100090 - Disclosure - License Agreements</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureLicenseAgreements</Role>
      <ShortName>License Agreements</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>10</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R11.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100100 - Disclosure - Notes Payable</LongName>
      <ReportType>Notes</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureNotesPayable</Role>
      <ShortName>Notes Payable</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>11</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R12.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100110 - Disclosure - Stockholders' Equity</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureStockholdersEquity</Role>
      <ShortName>Stockholders' Equity</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>12</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R13.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100120 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Compensation</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureStockBasedCompensation</Role>
      <ShortName>Stock-Based Compensation</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Notes</MenuCategory>
      <Position>13</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R14.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100130 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureSummaryOfSignificantAccountingPoliciesPolicies</Role>
      <ShortName>Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Policies</MenuCategory>
      <ParentRole>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureSummaryOfSignificantAccountingPolicies</ParentRole>
      <Position>14</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R15.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100140 - Disclosure - Loss per Common Share (Tables)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureLossPerCommonShareTables</Role>
      <ShortName>Loss per Common Share (Tables)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Tables</MenuCategory>
      <ParentRole>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureLossPerCommonShare</ParentRole>
      <Position>15</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R16.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100150 - Disclosure - Financial Instruments (Tables)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureFinancialInstrumentsTables</Role>
      <ShortName>Financial Instruments (Tables)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Tables</MenuCategory>
      <ParentRole>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureFinancialInstruments</ParentRole>
      <Position>16</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R17.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100160 - Disclosure - Notes Payable (Tables)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Notes</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureNotesPayableTables</Role>
      <ShortName>Notes Payable (Tables)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Tables</MenuCategory>
      <ParentRole>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureNotesPayable</ParentRole>
      <Position>17</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R18.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100170 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureStockBasedCompensationTables</Role>
      <ShortName>Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Tables</MenuCategory>
      <ParentRole>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureStockBasedCompensation</ParentRole>
      <Position>18</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R19.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100180 - Disclosure - Company Overview - Additional Information (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureCompanyOverviewAdditionalInformationDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Company Overview - Additional Information (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>19</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R20.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100190 - Disclosure - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureSummaryOfSignificantAccountingPoliciesAdditionalInformationDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>20</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R21.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100200 - Disclosure - Loss per Common Share - Schedule of Potential Common Shares Issuable Pursuant to Outstanding Securities Excluded from Computation of Diluted Loss per Common Share (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureLossPerCommonShareScheduleOfPotentialCommonSharesIssuablePursuantToOutstandingSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfDilutedLossPerCommonShareDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Loss per Common Share - Schedule of Potential Common Shares Issuable Pursuant to Outstanding Securities Excluded from Computation of Diluted Loss per Common Share (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>21</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R22.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100210 - Disclosure - Financial Instruments - Fair Value of Company's Financial Assets Measured on Recurring Basis (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureFinancialInstrumentsFairValueOfCompanySFinancialAssetsMeasuredOnRecurringBasisDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Financial Instruments - Fair Value of Company's Financial Assets Measured on Recurring Basis (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>22</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R23.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100220 - Disclosure - Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureFinancialInstrumentsAdditionalInformationDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>23</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R24.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100230 - Disclosure - Royalty Agreement - Additional Information (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureRoyaltyAgreementAdditionalInformationDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Royalty Agreement - Additional Information (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>24</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R25.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100240 - Disclosure - License Agreements - Additional Information (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureLicenseAgreementsAdditionalInformationDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>License Agreements - Additional Information (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>25</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R26.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100250 - Disclosure - Notes Payable - Additional Information (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Notes</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureNotesPayableAdditionalInformationDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Notes Payable - Additional Information (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>26</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R27.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100260 - Disclosure - Notes Payable - Summary of Future Minimum Payments Under Loan Agreement (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Notes</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureNotesPayableSummaryOfFutureMinimumPaymentsUnderLoanAgreementDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Notes Payable - Summary of Future Minimum Payments Under Loan Agreement (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>27</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R28.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100280 - Disclosure - Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureStockholdersEquityAdditionalInformationDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>28</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report instance="snss-20160331.xml">
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <HtmlFileName>R29.htm</HtmlFileName>
      <LongName>100290 - Disclosure - Stock-Based Compensation - Summary of Stock-Based Compensation Expense Related to Company's Stock-Based Awards (Detail)</LongName>
      <ReportType>Sheet</ReportType>
      <Role>http://www.sunesis.com/20160331/taxonomy/role/DisclosureStockBasedCompensationSummaryOfStockBasedCompensationExpenseRelatedToCompanySStockBasedAwardsDetail</Role>
      <ShortName>Stock-Based Compensation - Summary of Stock-Based Compensation Expense Related to Company's Stock-Based Awards (Detail)</ShortName>
      <MenuCategory>Details</MenuCategory>
      <Position>29</Position>
    </Report>
    <Report>
      <IsDefault>false</IsDefault>
      <HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports>
      <LongName>All Reports</LongName>
      <ReportType>Book</ReportType>
      <ShortName>All Reports</ShortName>
    </Report>
  </MyReports>
  <InputFiles>
    <File>snss-20160331.xml</File>
    <File>snss-20160331.xsd</File>
    <File>snss-20160331_cal.xml</File>
    <File>snss-20160331_def.xml</File>
    <File>snss-20160331_lab.xml</File>
    <File>snss-20160331_pre.xml</File>
  </InputFiles>
  <SupplementalFiles/>
  <BaseTaxonomies/>
  <HasPresentationLinkbase>true</HasPresentationLinkbase>
  <HasCalculationLinkbase>true</HasCalculationLinkbase>
</FilingSummary>
