Cancer Diagnostic Market: Evaluating the Major Growth Factors and the Key Developments in the Domain

Cancer is a global burden, leading to a significant number of death and disabilities worldwide. In 2020, nearly one in six deaths were related to cancer. Breast cancer, lung cancer, colon and rectum cancer, and prostate cancer are some of the major cancer types, registering the highest number of cases globally. To tackle the rising cancer cases, over the past few years, Several vaccines have been developed by major pharmaceutical and biotech companies and approved by the healthcare regulatory authorities, including FDA, EMA, and others, resulting in improved long-term survival of the patients. In the treatment journey of cancer, early detection plays a key role. It is observed cancers can be cured and treated effectively if it detected at an early stage. Surgery is found to be less effective at later disease stages, and chemo-therapeutic drugs are often more toxic. The delay in diagnosis often results in poorer patient outcomes, and medical expenses also rise significantly with the cancer stage.

Different types of Cancer Diagnostic products and procedures are available in the market today. The cancer diagnostic segment has got enormous attention from MedTech companies and manufacturers, and in recent years several major clinical and commercial developments have been registered in the market. Some of the major cancer diagnostic procedures include imaging, laboratory tests (including tests for tumor markers), tumor biopsy, endoscopic examination, surgery, or genetic testing. MedTech and HealthTech giants are actively working in the market to cater to the patient’s different needs and simplify the overall cancer detection and treatment procedure for clinicians. The Cancer Diagnostic Market is anticipated to evolve and grow further in the coming years. As per the latest assessment by DelveInsight, the global Cancer Diagnostic Market was valued at USD 125.13 billion in 2021 and growing at a CAGR of 9.43% during the forecast period (2023 to 2028); it is expected to reach USD 214.88 billion by 2028. The spike in cancer cases worldwide directly leads to a greater demand for Cancer Diagnostic products, thereby driving market growth.

Cancer Diagnostic Types and Technologies

Diagnosing cancer is a complex process. However, cancer diagnostic technology has evolved over the years, and several sophisticated diagnostic approaches are being developed and employed to make informed decisions about cancer. Cancer diagnostic testing involves various procedures. Based on a person’s symptoms, different types of tests and procedures are being conducted to confirm the presence of cancer and identify the correct tumor type. Similarly, other major evaluations, such as exact location, extent, and stage, are identified for better treatment and health outcomes. Identifying the stage helps to understand how advanced cancer has become, how big it is, and whether it has spread to neighboring tissues or more distantly to lymph nodes or other organs. Many different kinds of cancer can cause a lot of different symptoms. Utilizing new technologies and medical devices is helping clinicians immensely. 

Some of the major Technique of Cancer Diagnostic includes Molecular Diagnostic (Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Fluorescent In-Situ Hybridization (FISH), Microarray, Immunohistochemistry), Diagnostic Imaging (Ultrasound & Radiology, Mammography, MRI Scan, CT Scan, Nuclear Medicine Scans), Endoscopy, and Biopsy (Standard Biopsy and Liquid Biopsy). Similarly, by the product type, the cancer Diagnostic is segmented as reagents & Kits, and Instruments.

As per DeveInsight, in the Cancer Diagnostic product type segment, the reagents & kits type held a significant market share of 66% which is expected to continue in the coming years. This is owing to the wide availability of reagents & kits for detecting cell signaling, cell proliferation and viability, tumor suppressor gene, bioactive proteins, and others in cancer cells. Furthermore, approval of novel reagents and kits, which aid in the early detection and proper management of various cancer types, by the regulatory bodies, is also expected to boost the market growth for this segment.

Cancer Diagnostic Market Dynamics and Key Trends

Globally, the Cancer Diagnostic market is exhibiting an immense growth rate owing to the rise in the number of cases, which directly generates the demand for better diagnostic products. As per the estimate, in 2020, approximately 19,292,000+ new cancer cases were reported worldwide. The number of cases is expected to grow in the coming years. It is observed that tobacco use, alcohol use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, carcinogenic infections, and air pollution are some of the key risk factors for cancer. Thus, for proper cancer management, early detection of cancer is necessary, which would lead to an increased demand for cancer diagnosis, thereby propelling the market.

As per data published by WHO (2021), cancer accounted for an estimated 10 million deaths across the globe in the year 2020. In the year 2018, about 13% of cancer diagnosed were attributed to carcinogenic infections such as Helicobacter pylori, human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and Epstein-Barr virus, as per the WHO, 2021.

To provide better management and treatment option, several major companies are actively involved in new product development. Technical innovation in the development of a variety of cancer diagnostic products is directly contributing to the market growth. However, side effects associated with cancer imaging devices and the high cost of cancer diagnostic products will likely impede the global cancer diagnostic market.

Regional Assessment of the Cancer Diagnostic Market:

As per the latest assessment by DelveInsight, North America is anticipated to hold a major share of the overall Cancer Diagnostic market in the upcoming years. The United States has one of the most well-established healthcare infrastructures and a very high presence of key Cancer Diagnostic products manufacturers. As per the estimate, approximately 2,281,000+ people were diagnosed with cancer in the US in 2020. The number of cancer cases in the US is rising, making it a key center point of attention for companies to approve and launch their products and offer better treatment options among competitors. Approval of products to enhance imaging technology for various cancer detection would also contribute to the market growth. Similarly, the rising awareness regarding cancer and its proper management among the public is another major factor for the high growth rate of the Cancer Diagnostic Market.

Moreover, Cancer Diagnostic products demand is expected to grow in the Asia Pacific region due to the burgeoning cancer cases and the rising risk factors among the population that potentially lead to cancer development. It is observed that nearly half of the new cancer cases and cancer deaths in the world occur in Asia. China, with the largest population size in the region and worldwide, has the highest proportion of new cases and deaths. To tackle the growing number of cases of cancer, the governments in the regional countries are taking proactive steps and various initiatives regarding cancer care awareness and management. Similarly, health agencies in some governments have collaborated with private players to prevent cancer and improve detection, diagnosis, treatment, and care after treatment. Thus, all these factors and initiatives are expected to make APAC the fastest-growing cancer diagnostic market in the forthcoming years. 

Major Players in the Cancer Diagnostic Market

Some of the key cancer diagnostic companies in the market include Pillar Biosciences, Inc., Hologic Inc., CD Genomics, Natera, Inc., Agendia Inc., Biodesix Inc., INOVIQ  Ltd., HTG Molecular Diagnostics Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Koninklijke Philips N.V., FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Abbott, General Electric Company, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., NeoGenomics Laboratories, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Agilent Technologies Inc, Guardant Health, Illumina, Inc., QIAGEN, and others. Cancer Diagnostic is one of the highly evolving and growing markets, depicting unprecedented advancements in the domain. Due to the rising demand and high revenue prospects, several new players are expected to enter the market in the upcoming years. The interest in the companies in the Cancer Diagnostic Market will lead to better health outcomes and reduce the cancer disease burden globally. 

Recent Developmental Activities in the Cancer Diagnostic Market

Recently, several major clinical, commercial, and regulatory development has been registered in the Cancer Diagnostic devices market. Some of the key breakthroughs include –

• On November 29, 2021, FDA approved Cytalux (pafolacianine), a targeted fluorescent imaging agent intended to assist surgeons in identifying ovarian cancer lesions.
• In November 2021, Hologic, Inc. commercially launched its new Genius™ Digital Diagnostics System in Europe. The Genius Digital Diagnostics System is the next generation of cervical cancer screening that combines deep learning-based artificial intelligence (AI) with advanced volumetric imaging technology to help identify pre-cancerous lesions and cervical cancer cells in women.
• On August 05, 2021, Pillar Biosciences, an innovative next-generation sequencing (NGS) solutions in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) company, received the Premarket Approval (PMA) for its oncoReveal™ Dx Lung and Colon Cancer Assay, an NGS tissue-based companion diagnostic test for the qualitative detection of somatic mutations in DNA derived from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal (CRC) cancer tumors.
• In June 2021, NeoGenomics completed its acquisition for Inivata Ltd, a global, commercial-stage liquid biopsy platform company headquartered in Cambridge, England.
• In August 2020, HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc. signed a commercialization and distribution agreement (Master Agreement) with QIAGEN Manchester Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of QIAGEN N.V. for companion diagnostic (CDx) assays based on HTG EdgeSeq, HTG’s novel RNA platform.
• November 29, 2021, FDA approved Cytalux (pafolacianine), a targeted fluorescent imaging agent intended to assist surgeons in identifying ovarian cancer lesions.

Owing to the favorable regulatory approach and active participation of the companies in the domain, several major advancements are anticipated to take place in the domain. 

Cancer Diagnostic Market – Future Analysis and Key Perspective

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, leading to a significant burden on the healthcare infrastructure and affecting the lives of patient and their families. However, globally, several major MedTech and HealthTech giants are taking a proactive approach toward developing more and more advanced Cancer diagnostic products to detect cancer early and make treatments more effective with fewer side effects. As per the estimate, the survival rate and the cost of treating patients diagnosed with stage III/ IV cancer are significantly higher as compared to stage I/II cancer

In the future, advancements in contrast agents and molecular methods are expected to play a key role in detecting cancer-specific signals in real time, thereby improving the survival rate. The risk-based detection and prevention strategies coupled with the cost-effective and widely accessible diagnostic procedure are expected to reduce the burden of cancer to a significant extent. Moreover, the growth in sensor technology, artificial intelligence, and several other new-age technologies are also anticipated to provide a new dimension to the Cancer Diagnostic Market. Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and deep learning in cancer care can potentially improve cancer detection accuracy, speed, and efficiency. A few significant developments have been observed in this segment. For instance, in November 2021, FDA granted 510(k) clearance for Lunit AI solution to detect breast cancer. The emerging technologies are designed for integration into the research and clinical labs without relying on high-end equipment and trained operators. Overall, the advance is anticipated to make diagnosing and monitoring cancer patients practically simpler and more effective. It will not only improve the quality of cancer patients’ lives but will also dramatically improve the survival rates of many cancers in the coming years.