Breast Cancer Liquid Biopsy Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)

Market Overview

The breast cancer liquid biopsy market is expected to register a CAGR of 14.5% during the forecast period of 2021-2026.

The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a negative effect on the market growth. The pandemic had brought several adverse impacts on breast cancer biopsy services. Hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers were unable to provide biopsy services due to lockdowns across some countries to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In a study conducted in the United Kingdom and published in The Lancet Oncology in March 2021, the consequences of delayed diagnosis of cancer due to COVID-19 were researched upon. Data from over 100,000 patients with breast, colorectal, esophageal, or lung cancer were evaluated in the study. The study showed that 1- and 5-year survival rates due to cancer will significantly reduce due to the pandemic because of the lack of access to screening services. Thus, as the lockdowns drag on and screening services get affected, survivability due to cancer will decrease.

An increase in regulatory approvals is expected to have a positive effect on the market. For example, in June 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided regulatory approval to QIAGEN's therascreen PIK3CA RGQ PCR Kit. The approval was granted with the device's use as a companion diagnostic assay to detect PIK3CA mutations in breast cancer for both tissue and liquid biopsies.

For the detection of breast cancer, traditional methods like tissue biopsies are not comprehensive enough to predict or capture the entire genomics landscape of breast tumors. Liquid biopsy as an alternative method for the detection of breast cancer allows many clinical applications that include screening, therapy selection, detection of mutations, disease prognosis, and drug response and resistance in patients who are unable to undergo an invasive tumor biopsy. Liquid biopsies provide unique benefits compared to other genetic testing methods, such as collecting samples with tumor biopsies. Collecting samples from the blood is a comparatively less invasive procedure and can provide a better understanding of cancer. Usually, taking a biopsy from one side of a tumor rather than the other may impact the accuracy of the results, which does not happen with liquid biopsies. Additionally, a major advantage of liquid biopsy is the possibility to detect a tumor smaller than the ones detectable by traditional screening based on imaging techniques. In fact, liquid biopsy can analyze cancer DNA, not its mass, enabling earlier tumor diagnosis.

One of the major factors leading to the market growth is the global increase in breast cancer cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer among women across the globe. Approximately 2.1 million women suffer from breast cancer every year, and it leads to the highest number of cancer-related deaths among women. In 2018, it was estimated that approximately 627,000 women died from breast cancer, which represented nearly 15% of all cancer deaths among women globally. According to Breast Cancer Care WA Incorporated, it was estimated that in 2019, 19,371 Australian women were diagnosed with breast cancer or approximately 53 each day, which accounts for approximately 14% of all new cancer cases diagnosed. Furthermore, according to Cancer Research UK, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the United Kingdom, accounting for 15% of all new cancer cases. The high prevalence of breast cancer and increasing demand for better minimally invasive therapies are the major driving factors in the breast cancer liquid biopsy market.

Scope of the Report

Liquid biopsy refers to the process of obtaining tumor-derived materials such as RNA, tumor DNA, intact tumor cells, and extracellular vesicles from body fluids such as urine, blood, saliva, and stools. The procedure is relatively non-invasive, making it an attractive investigative modality as compared to traditional tumor biopsies. Breast cancer liquid biopsy is the method of detecting or investigating tumor cells in the blood sample obtained from the target cancerous site. The sample is tested for cancerous cells or biomarkers circulating in the blood.

The breast cancer liquid biopsy market is segmented by circulating biomarkers into circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), extracellular vesicles, and other circulating biomarkers. By geography, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East and Africa, and South America. The report offers the value (USD million) for the above segments.

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Key Market Trends

The Circulating Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) Segment is Expected to Hold a Major Market Share

Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma offers a non-invasive approach to monitor tumor molecular profiling in real-time at multiple time-points, detect emerging genomic alterations associated with drug resistance, and clarify cancer prognosis and diagnosis of cancer recurrence or progression. There are many companies that offer cfDNA-based products for use in research purposes. For example, Germany-based Qiagen offers the QIAamp circulating nucleic acid kit used in a column-based method to isolate cfDNA from plasma and serum. Genomics For Life Pty Ltd is a Queensland, Australia-based company that offers genetic testing for cfDNA from blood samples. It is a major private-sector company that provides cfDNA-based testing services in Australia.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2018, it was estimated that approximately 627,000 women died from breast cancer, which is nearly 15% of all cancer deaths among women globally. Due to technological advancements in breast cancer liquid biopsy, the circulating cell-free DNA segment is anticipated to show significant development. Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. offers the 'QX200 Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR)’ system, which provides absolute quantification of target DNA or RNA molecules for EvaGreen or probe-based digital PCR applications. In addition, the recent innovations leading to the introduction of better and more sensitive screening techniques (like ddPCR) have permitted the quantification and detection of low abundance targets in shorter times without requiring large numbers of replicates. This has established ddPCR as a tool of choice for liquid biopsies being utilized for breast cancer diagnosis. These developments are expected to fuel the market growth during the forecast period.

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