In this episode, host Shikha Jain, MD, speaks with Helio Genomics’ Justin Chen Li about the ways in which AI has been incorporated into oncologic care, how this technology can improve care disparities, and more.
About the episode
On Oncology Overdrive, hematologist-oncologist Dr. Shikha Jain sits down with Justin Chen Li, CEO of Helio Genomics, for a wide-ranging conversation about where artificial intelligence actually fits into cancer care — and where the promise ends and the clinical reality begins.
Li traces his path into the field and makes a straightforward case: AI-based cancer detection is no longer science fiction, but a tool clinicians can put to work today. He explains what sets Helio’s approach apart from the many other ways AI has been folded into oncology, and digs into the company’s work in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, where finding disease earlier can meaningfully change a patient’s options.
The discussion doesn’t stop at the science. Dr. Jain and Li talk candidly about the potential for a simple blood test to close long-standing gaps and disparities in cancer care, how the pandemic reshaped the way the team works, and what comes next — including whether the same technology could one day reach beyond oncology.
What they get into
- How Justin found his way into AI-driven diagnostics 1:25
- What “AI-based cancer detection” really means — science fiction vs. everyday clinical practice 4:07
- What makes Helio’s approach different from other uses of AI in oncology 6:25
- Helio’s work in liver cancer (HCC) — and why it’s so promising 7:47
- Using the technology to address disparities and gaps in cancer care 12:40
- How COVID changed the team’s thinking, technology, and delivery of care 15:02
- What’s next — and the potential to expand beyond cancer 18:26
- The one thing Li most wants listeners to take away 21:26
Justin Chen Li is CEO of Helio Genomics, an AI-driven cancer detection company building next-generation sequencing tests for earlier diagnosis. Have a comment or question for the show? Reach the team at oncologyoverdrive@healio.com.
Listen to the full episode: Oncology Overdrive, Episode 53 on Healio →