Excited to announce our important collaboration with the Rural Health Transformation Collaborative, co-chaired by Microsoft.
Helio Genomics, a member of Microsoft for Startups, is proud to contribute to the Rural Health Transformation Collaborative. Together, we are working to expand access to earlier detection for at-risk patients in underserved rural communities.
Liver cancer is one of the fastest-growing causes of cancer deaths in the United States, yet the five-year survival rate remains only about 20%, largely because most cases are detected too late. This is a preventable tragedy, but only if we reach patients in time.
Today, fewer than 20% of high-risk patients receive recommended surveillance. In rural communities, the challenge is even greater, with long travel distances making consistent screening difficult.
Early detection changes outcomes. The CLiMB study, the largest prospective, multicenter U.S. trial of its kind, was published in the Journal of Hepatology on May 6, 2026. It demonstrated that HelioLiver can detect liver cancer at these critical early stages.
Through this collaboration, we aim to bring more accessible, effective surveillance approaches directly into rural care settings. Helio Genomics is developing an epigenomic, blood-based solution designed to enable earlier detection of liver cancer and close the gap in access to care.
For patients, this is transformative. Earlier detection enables more high-risk individuals with cirrhosis to access life-extending and potentially curative therapies, dramatically improving survival rates and quality of life. Rather than facing limited options in advanced disease, they now have a reliable, simple blood-based tool that gives them a real fighting chance.
“The RHT Collaborative is designed to create a future where every rural community has access to high-quality, technology-enabled healthcare. By supporting innovative approaches and care models, collaborations like this help improve access and outcomes for the communities that need them most.”
“For patients in rural communities, this collaboration represents a step toward more accessible early detection and better outcomes.”
Every patient at risk deserves that chance.
The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Collaborative is co-chaired by Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP (National Association of Community Health Centers); Brittany Sachdeva (Cibolo Health); James Mault, M.D., FACS (BioIntelliSense, Inc.); and David Rhew, M.D. (Microsoft).
To learn more about Helio Genomics and our work in early detection, visit heliogenomics.com.
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