Every year, the global cancer crisis claims 10 million lives and brings 20 million new diagnoses. Yet the core problem is not a lack of treatment, but a crisis of late detection. Devastating diseases like pancreatic, liver, and brain cancers are often detected only at Stage 3 or 4, when curative options are severely limited.
This grim reality is fueling a significant shift toward liquid biopsies. We are now entering an era of the multi-cancer early detection test, an approach that challenges the reactive status quo of traditional diagnostics.
In a recent conversation, Amy Osmond Cook, Co-Founder & CMO of Fullcast, sat down with Richard Bernert, MD, COO of Precision Epigenomics, to discuss this vital evolution. As a medically-led company competing against well-funded giants, Precision Epigenomics has developed the EPISEEK test. This innovative screening tool demonstrates statistically superior clinical performance exactly where it matters most: detecting cancer at its earliest, most treatable stages.
From Umpire to Player: Why a Top Pathologist Pivoted to Bend the Curve on Cancer
The Limitations of “Calling Balls and Strikes” in Traditional Pathology
For decades, Dr. Richard Bernert practiced pathology at the highest levels, diagnosing cancer from tissue biopsies sent by clinicians across Arizona. It was critically important work, but it was inherently reactive. “I’m sitting here like the umpire, calling balls and strikes,” Dr. Bernert explained. “Okay, this one’s benign, this one’s cancer. And that’s incredibly important work.”
But a growing frustration began to take hold. Too often, the biopsies arriving on his desk represented advanced disease. A lymph node filled with metastatic cancer. A pancreatic tumor discovered only after symptoms became unbearable. The diagnosis was accurate, but the window for a cure had often already closed.
“What if we could get on the field of play and actually bend the curve?” Dr. Bernert asked himself. The goal became clear: shift from reactive diagnosis to proactive detection, finding cancer before signs and symptoms appear. This stands in stark contrast to the slow, logistical challenges of traditional biopsy slide analysis, where turnaround times can stretch from days to weeks. As discussed on The Go-to-Market Podcast, the process of mailing physical slides across the country to specialists creates significant delays in getting critical information back to patients and their care teams.
The Vision: A Globally Scalable, Affordable, and Effective Screening Tool
This frustration crystallized into a specific vision for Precision Epigenomics: create a screening tool that is fast, affordable, and globally scalable. The test needed to run on equipment that most molecular laboratories already possess, making widespread adoption feasible.
“What if we could make something that we could actually someday have run in Papua New Guinea and Winslow, Arizona, and Kenya, and in London?” Dr. Bernert said. The ambition was nothing less than democratizing access to early cancer detection worldwide.
The company, a spinout from the University of Arizona College of Medicine, has built the infrastructure to support this vision. Precision Epigenomics established a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited clinical laboratory, meeting the rigorous standards required for clinical diagnostics. Building a scalable lab operation requires unifying complex data and processes. This is a common challenge for organizations like Sonic Healthcare that must also integrate fragmented systems to create a unified view of their data.
The Clinical Data: Proving Superiority in Early-Stage Cancer Detection
Doubling Down on Sensitivity: How EPISEEK Outperforms Billion-Dollar Competitors
The EPISEEK multi-cancer early detection test recently completed a case-control study involving more than 400 cancer patients. The results were remarkable, particularly for early-stage disease.
First, a quick definition: sensitivity measures a test’s ability to correctly identify patients who have cancer. If 100 people definitively have cancer, a test with 50% sensitivity would correctly identify 50 of them.
For Stage 1 and 2 cancers, EPISEEK demonstrated 53-58% sensitivity, while two of the billion-dollar market leaders achieved 28% and 33% respectively. “It’s more than twice the sensitivity for one of the assays and pretty close to twice for the other one,” Dr. Bernert noted. “Detecting stages 1 and 2 is where you can potentially have an impact.”
The breadth of detection is equally impressive, as the study identified over 80 different cancer types. Presenting performance claims with this level of confidence requires rigorous data analysis, a principle that applies across disciplines, from clinical trials to go-to-market planning managed through platforms like Fullcast Performance.
A Breakthrough in Brain Cancer: Detecting What Other Tests Miss
Perhaps the most striking differentiator emerged in brain cancer detection. The market-leading competitor attempted to detect brain cancer in their case-control study and achieved a 0% detection rate. EPISEEK detected brain cancers at a 60-70% rate with a larger sample size.
“Brain cancer is a top-10 killer for men and women in the United States,” Dr. Bernert emphasized. “It’s not a nothing that the other folks are not able to detect that.”
The test’s capabilities extend to both high-grade cancers like glioblastoma and the slower-growing low-grade gliomas, which are notoriously difficult to detect through blood-based screening. “Conventionally, in these kind of screening tests, it’s easy to detect the fast-growing aggressive ones. It’s hard to detect the slower ones. We actually did great with the low-grade brain cancers too.”
For Amy Osmond Cook, this breakthrough carries profound personal significance. Her father struggled with severe headaches throughout his childhood, convinced something was wrong. Decades later, at age 42, he began experiencing “brownouts” on stage. Doctors finally discovered a fast-growing brain tumor that had developed on top of a slow-growing tumor he had carried since childhood. “If we had had this test, we would have been able to find that,” Amy reflected. “He would probably still be with us today.”
From Lab to the Front Lines: A Go-to-Market Strategy Focused on Highest-Risk Populations
Protecting Our Protectors: Why Firefighters Are a Priority for Early Screening
Precision Epigenomics has identified first responders as a critical market segment because they face elevated cancer risk due to occupational exposures. Firefighters experience disrupted sleep cycles and exposure to contaminants in their turnout gear. Their risk for testicular cancer is twice that of the general population, with kidney and skin cancers also significantly elevated.
“We’re asking these first responders to put their lives on the line to save us, and they’re literally not just at risk of having a catastrophic event someday on a scene, but we’re actually putting them at risk for cancer,” Dr. Bernert explained.
EPISEEK is the only multi-cancer early detection test that screens for all presumptive cancers recognized in the firefighter community, including brain cancer. This targeted approach is an example of a modern, effective healthcare marketing strategy that focuses on specific high-need segments rather than broad, generic outreach.
Dr. Bernert’s sales approach reflects the company’s passionate, mission-driven culture. “When I’m driving across country on a family vacation in an RV, I stop in at Fire Station Three in Casper, Wyoming, and my wife sits with the RV for a few minutes,” he shared. This direct, hands-on hustle defines how a smaller company can compete against industry giants.
Making Lifesaving Technology Accessible to Everyone
For individuals interested in the test, the process is straightforward. Option one: visit precision-epigenomics.com and connect with their telehealth provider to determine if the test is appropriate. Option two: discuss EPISEEK with a primary care clinician, whether a nurse practitioner, PA, or family practice physician.
The test requires just two tubes of blood. A mobile phlebotomist can come to your home or office to collect the specimen, with results typically available within a week.
The price point may surprise many: $699, which includes the mobile phlebotomy service. “Our goal, you know, to be honest, at some point when we scale this thing, I think we can hold the price there, or even go lower over the years,” Dr. Bernert said. Making innovative technology accessible remains a challenge across industries, as highlighted in the 2026 Benchmarks Report: State of GTM in 2026, which includes data from the 5% of companies in the healthcare sector navigating these exact challenges.
The Mindset Behind the Mission: How to Sustain Peak Performance While Changing the World
“How Long Will You Wait to Demand the Best for Yourself?”
At 59, Dr. Bernert maintains a demanding schedule as a physician, operator, marketer, and salesperson. His approach to sustained performance centers on foundational health practices.
Sleep comes first. “Eight hours of sleep,” he advised. There’s data that says you can actually delay cognitive decline if you’re getting at least an hour of deep sleep. This is when all the waste in your brain gets flushed out. If you’re only getting six hours, the body keeps receipts, and eventually you’ll pay.
Movement matters, whatever form it takes. “If it’s high-intensity intervals, strength training, going for walks, just taking good care of yourself.”
Nutrition requires honest self-assessment. “Don’t eat so much bad food. It’s so easy to eat junk.”
Dr. Bernert invoked the Stoic philosopher Epictetus: “How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?” The question applies equally to dietary choices and to taking proactive steps toward early cancer detection. This philosophy connects directly to the company’s mission. You cannot help save others if you fail to take care of yourself first.
Demanding a Better Future for Yourself
The fight against cancer is entering a new era, one defined not by waiting for symptoms to appear, but by proactive, highly sensitive early detection. The data presented here demonstrates that a focused, medically-led team can outperform even billion-dollar market players. The EPISEEK multi-cancer early detection test delivers nearly twice the sensitivity for Stage 1 and 2 cancers compared to industry leaders, and it stands alone in its ability to detect brain cancer through a simple blood draw.
Dr. Bernert’s journey from pathologist to company operator illustrates a fundamental truth: the most meaningful innovations often come from those who have witnessed the problem firsthand. His frustration with diagnosing advanced disease became the catalyst for building a solution that could change outcomes for millions.
The question now shifts to you. Whether you are a first responder facing elevated occupational risk, someone with a family history of cancer, or simply someone who believes in taking control of your health narrative, the tools for proactive detection exist today. Visit precision-epigenomics.com or speak with your primary care provider. The best time to demand the best for yourself is now.