In an interview published by Authority Magazine on Medium, Helio Genomics Chief Executive Officer Dr. Bharat Tewarie, MD, MBA, shares the five things he believes everyone needs to know about cancer, drawing on a career that spans clinical training at Utrecht University, executive roles at Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, Serono International, Merck Serono, and UCB, and his current work leading Helio Genomics.
Dr. Tewarie describes the mission that drives him: too many cancer patients hear “we caught it too late,” when a simple blood test could have completely changed their outcome. At Helio Genomics, that conviction takes the form of HelioLiver, an AI-powered multi-analyte blood test designed to improve access to early cancer detection. In the landmark CLiMB study, a prospective, real-world trial published in the Journal of Hepatology, HelioLiver demonstrated superior sensitivity for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared to ultrasound.
The interview also covers how Helio Genomics is scaling access: the partnership with Quest Diagnostics, whose approximately 7,700 patient service centers and EHR integration put the test within reach of providers across the United States; the commercialization partnership with Syneos Health; and the Microsoft Rural Health Transformation Collaborative, which addresses late diagnosis in underserved communities.
The Five Things
- Early detection is everything. In the CLiMB study, HelioLiver demonstrated superior sensitivity compared to ultrasound, detecting tiny tumors that standard surveillance missed entirely. “Catch it small, beat it all.”
- A huge share of cancers are preventable. Leading researchers estimate that roughly 40% of cancer cases are preventable. “Prevention is not luck, it is strategy.”
- Know your risks and act on them. For patients with cirrhosis or hepatitis B, guidelines already call for screening every six months.
- Innovation is moving faster than ever. Five-year survival has gone from 49% to 70% in a few decades.
- Community and real hope make all the difference. “No one fights cancer alone.”
A “Catch It Early” Movement
Asked what movement he would start, Dr. Tewarie describes a global “Catch It Early” movement: AI-powered early detection made routine everywhere, strong prevention education, and fair access for all — a world where a routine blood draw, not a complex procedure, catches liver cancer before symptoms appear, and where geography no longer determines whether a patient gets the test they need.
“Early detection is the first domino. If you can find the cancer at Stage 1 with a simple blood test, every treatment that follows has a dramatically better chance of working.”
View source version on medium.com.