Market Trends of Australia Ultrasound Devices Industry
High-intensity Focused Ultrasound Segment is Expected to Hold a Significant Market Share Over the Forecast Period
Focused ultrasonic energy is a non-invasive method for tissue ablation, and it can be used to treat a variety of solid tumors. High-intensity focused ultrasound is utilized more frequently to treat primary and metastatic tumors because it can accurately identify tumors for ablation. High-intensity focused ultrasound is a potential therapy option for liver tumors in patients with significant medical co-morbidity who are at high risk for surgery or have a relatively low liver function that may limit hepatectomy.
Factors such as the increasing cancer prevalence and research studies on high-intensity focused ultrasound devices are expected to increase segment growth. According to the report published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in July 2022, around 162,000 new cancer cases were diagnosed in Australia, an average of over 440 every day in 2022. The same source also stated that more than half (55%) of these cases were diagnosed in males. With the rising prevalence of cancer in the nation, the demand for ultrasound devices is anticipated to rise as it is commonly used to detect and diagnose cancer/tumor.
Furthermore, the whole-gland high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) presents a potential alternative minimally invasive and safe option for treating localized prostate cancer. For instance, according to the research journal published by the Mayo Foundation in August 2021, there was an increasing interest in limiting prostate cancer treatment-related side effects by restricting the amount of the treated prostate. In such a scenario, focal therapy has emerged as an effective treatment option as it limits such challenges. The focal therapy involves high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). The HIFU treats only the area with the most aggressive tumor while leaving the rest of the prostate and its surrounding structures alone. This approach is widely accepted in other types of cancer as well. Kidney cancers are also treated by this approach, by removing or ablating only the tumor while leaving the rest of the kidney intact. Thus, this may lead to increased demand for HIFU systems for the minimally invasive treatment of prostate cancer in Australia, leading to higher adoption of HIFU systems in Australian healthcare. Hence, considerable segment growth is expected in Australia over the forecast period due to such instances.
Gynecology/Obstetrics Segment is Expected to Witness Considerable Growth Over the Forecast Period
In obstetrics, transvaginal ultrasound can assess fetal brain anatomy and development, especially during the first trimester, or diagnose problems such as placenta previa. Ultrasound is the safest option for the mother and baby to see structures in motion. In addition, it also helps to see the heart in motion, and these images help obstetricians more clearly assess the development during pregnancy. The gynecologic ultrasound is used to diagnose conditions in the cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus, vagina, and bladder in women. In men, it is used to diagnose the bladder, prostate gland, and seminal vesicles.
The increasing number of cases of gynecological diseases in Australia is one of the major factors propelling the demand for ultrasound. For instance, according to the research article published by the Australian Cancer Research Foundation in July 2022, ovarian cancer is the eighth most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australian women. Compared to other gynecological cancers in Australia, ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate at 4.8% of all cancers in women annually. The same source also stated that approximately 1,800 Australian women are diagnosed annually; internationally, the number of diagnoses reaches almost a quarter of a million. Similarly, according to the report published by Cancer Australia in July 2022, around 1,815 new cases of ovarian cancer were diagnosed in Australia in 2022. The same source also stated that it is estimated that a female has a 1 in 84 (or 1.2%) risk of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer (incl. serous carcinomas of the fallopian tube) by the age of 85. Thus, such an increasing burden of gynecological diseases in Australia is expected to increase the demand for ultrasound devices in Australia, thereby propelling segment growth over the forecast period.
