At Arete Hospital in Gachibowli, there was a sense of hope in the air as doctors, researchers and other guests gathered to talk about a new tool in the fight against cancer — the Himanshu Roy Cancer (HrC) test. What makes this test stand out is its simplicity: a single blood test, taken once a year, that can flag a person’s risk of developing cancer before the symptoms can even appear.
For Aman Gurwada, senior vice president, strategy and operations at Epigeneres Biotech, the journey towards this breakthrough began in a deeply personal space. He said, “A group of people who had been touched by cancer in their families came together when the founder of Epigenerist, along with his brother, the CEO, faced a painful reality as their brother-in-law suffered a relapse after 16 years. The cancer returned with aggressive metastasis, leaving them feeling helpless.” At the same time, he too was dealing with cancer in his family, and since he knew them personally, he decided to gather like-minded people to explore what could be done. “And that’s when
Dr VK Tripathi (father of the founder), a technocrat, polymath, nanotechnologist, scientist, and entrepreneur, guided us to look at cancer differently — not just at resultant markers like most blood tests do, but at causative ones,” he recalled. Their focus on stem cells and epigenetic changes paved the way for what eventually became the HrC test.
Breaking it down simply, Aman noted, “HrC is a simple blood test to be taken annually. It tells you about your risk of developing cancer for the next one year.” Today, the concern is also about how accessible the test is in terms of cost, availability and awareness, especially since it is new and people are still doubtful about its accuracy. “People usually believe it only after symptoms show, yet cancer signs often appear late. Sadly, nearly 50% are diagnosed in stage 3 or 4, and even for us, finding early-stage samples for research was very difficult,” he added.
While developing the test, accessibility was always a priority. “In the UK, this same test costs about £850, which is close to `90,000. We priced it at `16,000 for India. Our whole idea was that Indians have contributed to the development of this test, so it must be made more accessible for them,” he explained, making it clear that affordability mattered more than profit.
For doctors, the excitement lies in how early this test can raise red flags. Dr Vijay Karan Reddy Palkonda, director of oncology and senior consultant - radiation oncology at Arete Hospitals in Gachibowli, remembered his first impression: “Aman, who works for the company that developed this test, has been a good friend of mine for a long time. About four or five years ago, they wanted to do something in genetics and oncology, and this idea came up. Could there be a way to detect cancer even before it appears, like a screening test, though no such blood test exists like this at the moment? When I first heard it, I thought it would be revolutionary if successful. The test has 93% sensitivity based on the studies done with over 1,000 paitents. The real challenge now is acceptance, particularly from other doctors who can be reluctant,” he said.
The strength of HrC lies in its timing. “The standard treatments for cancer, like radiation, chemotherapy and surgery, will always remain, but what this test offers is something different. Normally, scans only pick up a lump once it is about a centimetre in size, be it breast or cervical cancer, and until then, it is hard to say if it is cancerous or not. This test, however, gives a risk score beforehand, and if someone gets a high score, they know their risk in the coming year is high, so regular check-ups can help catch cancer right at stage one,” Dr Vijay explained.
Lifestyle, too, plays an important part. He continued, “The prevention aspect is quite similar to what we usually suggest for cancer prevention. For instance, if you are a smoker, cutting it down is crucial, because once you stop, the risk of lung cancer reduces by half within a year and heart problems also reduce within the same time. Simple steps, like maintaining immunity, as people did during COVID with multivitamins, controlling weight if obese, managing sugar if diabetic, and avoiding smoking altogether, can significantly lower the chances of reaching even stage one.”
With Arete Hospital in Hyderabad now offering the HrC test, the focus is on spreading awareness. As Dr Vijay summed it up, it’s about educating people and doctors. Once they see the results, the acceptance will come.