Benign or Malignant: Be EarlySure

In India, a suspected cancer diagnosis often begins with a familiar sequence imaging, invasive biopsy, prolonged waiting periods, and, in many cases, surgery. Yet oncologists and patient advocacy groups are increasingly questioning whether this pathway always serves patients’ best interests, particularly when early-stage malignancies are difficult to detect and benign lesions are sometimes treated aggressively due to diagnostic uncertainty.

Against this backdrop, a new class of diagnostic tools liquid biopsy-based cancer testing is beginning to alter how clinicians approach one of medicine’s most fundamental questions: Is it benign or malignant?

One of the latest entrants in this space is EarlySure Diagnostics, which has partnered exclusively with South Korea-based molecular diagnostics firm IMBDx to introduce advanced blood-based cancer detection technologies in India.

The problem: late detection and diagnostic ambiguity

India records over 14 lakh new cancer cases annually, according to government estimates, with a significant proportion detected at advanced stages. Clinicians point out that traditional diagnostic pathways reliant on imaging and tissue biopsies often struggle to identify malignancies at a molecular stage.

“Radiological findings can be inconclusive in early disease, while biopsies are invasive and not always representative of the entire tumour biology,” said a senior oncologist at a leading government cancer institute, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This sometimes leads to delayed diagnosis or, conversely, overtreatment of lesions that later turn out to be benign.”

Medical litigation records and patient complaints also reflect concerns around unnecessary surgical interventions driven by diagnostic uncertainty, particularly in breast, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancers.

What liquid biopsy changes

Liquid biopsy works by analysing fragments of tumour-derived DNA known as circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) present in a patient’s blood. Unlike tissue biopsy, it does not require surgery and can detect molecular changes associated with cancer well before tumours are visible on scans.

IMBDx, which supplies the technology platform used by EarlySure, has developed multi-cancer detection and monitoring assays that are already in clinical use in several countries in East Asia. These tests can help clinicians:

• Differentiate benign from malignant lesions
• Detect cancer at an early molecular stage
• Monitor treatment response
• Identify recurrence before clinical symptoms appear

According to publicly available clinical data shared by the company, liquid biopsy can complement and in some cases reduce reliance on invasive diagnostic procedures.

Cost and accessibility in the Indian context

One of the key challenges in adopting advanced diagnostics in India has historically been cost. EarlySure states that its liquid biopsy tests are being introduced in India at starting prices of approximately ₹30,000, positioning them below the cumulative cost of repeated imaging, biopsies and avoidable surgical procedures.

Health economists note that while such tests may not replace conventional diagnostics entirely, they could significantly reduce downstream costs.

“From a health-system perspective, early molecular clarity can prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, surgeries and prolonged treatments,” said a Mumbai-based public health researcher. “The economic impact of avoiding even a fraction of unnecessary procedures is substantial.”

Addressing misinformation and over-intervention

Experts caution that cancer diagnosis in India is also affected by misinformation both under-diagnosis due to fear of testing and over-intervention driven by defensive medicine or commercial pressures.

Liquid biopsy, clinicians argue, introduces an objective molecular layer to decision-making.

“A blood-based genomic test doesn’t replace clinical judgement,” said a private oncology consultant in Bengaluru. “But it gives doctors and patients an additional data point before taking irreversible decisions like surgery.”

A shift, not a replacement

Medical professionals emphasise that liquid biopsy is not intended to eliminate tissue biopsy or imaging but to work alongside them particularly in early detection, ambiguous cases, and post-treatment monitoring.

EarlySure’s partnership with IMBDx reflects a broader trend in Indian healthcare, where precision diagnostics are gradually moving from tertiary centres to more mainstream clinical practice.

Looking ahead

As India grapples with rising cancer incidence and strained healthcare infrastructure, early detection remains one of the most effective ways to improve survival outcomes. Whether liquid biopsy can be scaled responsibly across public and private healthcare systems will depend on clinical validation, physician education and regulatory oversight.

For now, the question confronting patients and doctors alike is evolving.

Before the scalpel, before the scan, Is it benign or malignant? Be EarlySure