Helio Genomics Presents Four Studies at the San Antonio Liver Cancer Symposium

Posters explore whether HelioLiver™ Dx can flag hepatocellular carcinoma when ultrasound is negative, imaging is indeterminate, or a tumor is not yet visible

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Helio Genomics today announced four poster presentations at the San Antonio Liver Cancer Symposium (SALCS), October 8–9, evaluating HelioLiver™ Dx in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance.

The posters include real-world cases showing how HelioLiver may complement conventional imaging by identifying molecular evidence of HCC when ultrasound is negative, imaging is indeterminate, or tumors are not yet radiographically visible. Shivani Mahajan, PhD, Head of Computational Science at Helio Genomics, will present the studies and posters today at SALCS.

"One of the most difficult situations in HCC care is an indeterminate imaging finding where the level of clinical concern exceeds what the scan can definitively tell us," said Hrishikesh Samant, MD, FACG. "An additional molecular signal may help physicians better distinguish which patients need closer evaluation from those who can continue routine surveillance."

The four studies highlight:

• HCC missed by routine surveillance: Three cases in which abnormal HelioLiver results prompted additional imaging after ultrasound had not identified a lesion.
• Resolving tumor ambiguity: Four cases demonstrating potential utility when imaging was indeterminate or definitive imaging was limited, including a biopsy-confirmed HCC following an abnormal HelioLiver result.
• Potential lead-time advantage: Two cases in which abnormal cfDNA methylation signals preceded imaging-visible disease by approximately 6 months, and definitive radiographic HCC diagnosis by as much as 9 months.
• Longitudinal surveillance modeling: A simulation study evaluating whether surveillance using HelioLiver could increase detection of tumors while they remain within early-stage treatment criteria compared with ultrasound.

"HCC biology begins before a tumor becomes large enough to be clearly visualized on imaging," said Rahul Maheshwari, MD. "Detecting tumor-associated molecular changes earlier could give clinicians valuable lead time to identify disease while patients are still within a window for potentially curative treatment."

Together, the findings suggest that tumor-associated molecular changes may provide useful information before or alongside structural changes detected by imaging. HelioLiver Dx integrates cell-free DNA methylation, serum protein biomarkers, and demographic variables to aid early HCC detection.

About Helio Genomics
Helio Genomics is an Irvine, Calif.-based cancer diagnostics company working toward a future in which cancer is detected early enough to save lives. The company is building an AI-powered blood surveillance platform for at-risk patients. Its advanced multi-analyte blood-based platform harnesses machine learning and deep learning to detect cancer biomarkers, enabling clinicians and patients to respond decisively against cancer.

About HelioLiver™
HelioLiver™, Helio Genomics' lead product, is a blood-based test for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. It combines cell-free DNA methylation patterns, protein biomarkers, and patient demographics using a proprietary AI algorithm. In a prospective clinical study it outperformed traditional ultrasound in identifying small tumors in high-risk patients.¹ This simple blood draw addresses screening barriers, boosting early detection rates and improving outcomes for individuals with risk factors for liver cancer, including liver cirrhosis (from hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol, obesity, or MASLD). Clinically validated in multicenter studies involving thousands of patients, Helio Genomics is expanding its commercial footprint to combat this pressing health challenge. HelioLiver is a laboratory-developed test.

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¹A multi-analyte cfDNA-based blood test for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol. 2026;85(3):528-536. Published online May 6, 2026. Prospective multicenter CLiMB trial (NCT03694600): HelioLiver sensitivity 47.8% versus 28.3% for abdominal ultrasound; 28.6% versus 0% for lesions smaller than 2 cm. https://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/article/S0168-8278(26)00215-1/fulltext

SOURCE Helio Genomics