Europe Liquid Biopsy Market Size, Share, Trends, Industry Analysis Report

Market Outlook

The Europe liquid biopsy market, valued at USD 2.0 billion in 2025, is projected to reach USD 2.3 billion in 2026 and USD 7.4 billion by 2035, representing a CAGR of 13.8% during the forecast period 2026 to 2035.

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Market Report: Key Takeaways

Market Size & Trends

• In terms of type of technology, next-generation sequencing currently dominates (nearly 50%) the current market.
• With respect to type of sample, blood sub-segment holds the highest market share of the current market.
• Based on type of circulating biomarker, circulating tumor DNA captures most of the current market.
• In terms of the type of cancer, lung cancer currently dominates (about 30%) the current market.
• With respect to application area, early diagnosis holds the highest market share of the current market.
• Based on end-user, hospitals / laboratories currently dominate the market.

Key Market Statistics

• Market Size in 2026: $ 2.3 Billion
• Estimated Market Size in 2035: $ 7.4 Billion
• CAGR (2026-2035): 13.8%

Market Introduction

Cancer diagnosis has traditionally relied on tissue biopsy, as it provides direct access to tumor material and helps clinicians understand the biological and molecular characteristics of the disease. However, the procedure is often associated with several practical and patient-related limitations. It may be painful, invasive, difficult to repeat, and unsuitable in cases where the tumor is located in a hard-to-access site or the patient's condition does not support repeated procedures.

Liquid biopsy has emerged as a minimally invasive diagnostic approach that analyzes tumor-derived biomarkers, such as circulating tumor DNA, circulating tumor cells, and extracellular vesicles, in blood or other bodily fluids. These advantages are becoming increasingly important as oncology care shifts from one-time diagnosis toward continuous disease assessment, where clinicians require regular insights into tumor evolution, treatment response, and resistance development.

This growing need for repeatable and patient-friendly testing has created strong interest in liquid biopsy. Unlike conventional tissue sampling, liquid biopsy analyzes cancer-related biomarkers released into blood, plasma, urine, or other body fluids. These biomarkers may include circulating tumor DNA, cell-free DNA, circulating tumor cells, extracellular vesicles, and other molecular signals associated with tumor activity. Owing to its minimally invasive nature, liquid biopsy is increasingly being explored and adopted for multiple oncology applications, including molecular profiling, targeted therapy selection, treatment response monitoring, minimal residual disease assessment, recurrence detection, and early cancer detection.

In Europe, the adoption of liquid biopsy is gaining momentum, supported by the region's substantial cancer burden, advanced oncology infrastructure, growing use of precision medicine, and increasing preference for minimally invasive diagnostic solutions. According to the European Commission's 2026 Cancer Mission update, the European Cancer Information System published updated 2024 cancer incidence and mortality estimates, indicating around 2.7 million new cancer cases and 1.3 million cancer-related deaths annually across the EU. This continued disease burden highlights the need for scalable diagnostic approaches that can support earlier detection, molecular profiling, treatment selection, and longitudinal disease monitoring. Countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK, with well-established oncology care systems and active clinical research networks, are expected to play an important role in supporting the broader clinical adoption of liquid biopsy across Europe.

The market is also being shaped by important regulatory and healthcare developments across Europe. For instance, Guardant Health received EU IVDR certification for Guardant360 CDx in 2024, making it an important regulatory milestone for liquid biopsy-based tumor mutation profiling across solid cancers in the region. In addition, NHS England announced in 2025 that it would roll out a liquid biopsy blood test for lung and breast cancer patients, helping fast-track lung cancer patients to target therapy up to two weeks earlier and reducing the need for additional invasive procedures in selected cases. Such developments indicate that liquid biopsy is gradually moving from research and limited clinical use toward broader implementation in European cancer care pathways.

The Europe liquid biopsy market is expected to witness sustained growth as diagnostic developers, pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and healthcare systems continue to invest in non-invasive cancer testing, companion diagnostics, ctDNA monitoring, and advanced molecular profiling. Going forward, continued innovation in next-generation sequencing, epigenomics, multi-omics, and AI-enabled data interpretation is expected to further expand the clinical role of liquid biopsy across Europe during the forecast period.

Liquid Biopsy Tests Approved in Europe

Market Segmentation

Based on our market research, we have segmented the Europe liquid biopsy market forecast into type of technology, type of sample, type of circulating biomarker, type of cancer, application area and end-user.

By Type of Technology

• Next-Generation Sequencing
• Polymerase Chain Reaction

By Type of Sample

• Blood
• Other Samples

By Type of Circulating Biomarker

• Circulating Tumor DNA
• Cell Free DNA
• Cell Free RNA
• Exosomes
• Other Circulating Biomarkers

By Type of Cancer

• Breast Cancer
• Colorectal Cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Bladder Cancer
• Melanoma
• Thyroid Cancer
• Gastric Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Leukemia
• Brain Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Oesophagus Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Nasopharyngeal cancer
• Sarcoma

By Application Area

• Early Diagnosis
• Patient Monitoring
• Recurrence Monitoring

By End-user

• Hospitals / Laboratories
• Research Institutes
• Other End-users

Europe Liquid Biopsy Market Key Insights

What are the Key Drivers for Europe Liquid Biopsy Market Growth?

• Growing Shift Toward Precision Oncology: The European market is increasingly moving toward oncology precision medicine care, where treatment decisions are guided by tumor-specific molecular information. Liquid biopsy supports this shift by helping identify actionable mutations through a blood-based sample, especially when tissue biopsy is not feasible or when faster molecular insights are required. ESMO has issued recommendations on the use of circulating tumor DNA assays in cancer care, reflecting the growing clinical relevance of ctDNA-based testing in oncology workflows.
• Expanding Clinical Adoption Through Public Healthcare Systems: Liquid biopsy adoption in Europe is being supported by public healthcare system initiatives, particularly in countries with strong oncology infrastructure. In May 2025, NHS England announced the rollout of a liquid biopsy blood test for lung and breast cancer patients, stating that it can help lung cancer patients access targeted therapy up to two weeks earlier and may help some patients avoid further invasive tests and chemotherapy. This type of public-system adoption is likely to improve clinical familiarity and strengthen demand for liquid biopsy testing in Europe.

What are the Main Challenges for Market Growth?

• Complex and Evolving IVDR Regulatory Requirements: One of the major challenges for the Europe liquid biopsy market is the transition to the EU In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR). Liquid biopsy tests, especially those used for cancer profiling and companion diagnostics, require stronger clinical evidence, performance evaluation, post-market surveillance, and conformity assessment. MedTech Europe's 2024 regulatory survey highlighted continued industry concerns around certification costs, timelines, and regulatory predictability under IVDR. This can delay commercialization and increase the compliance burden for diagnostic developers, particularly small and mid-sized companies.
• Limited Reimbursement Across European Countries: Europe does not have a single unified reimbursement pathway for liquid biopsy testing. Coverage decisions vary across countries such as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK, depending on national health technology assessment processes, clinical guidelines, local budgets, and evidence requirements. This fragmentation can limit broad adoption, especially for newer applications such as minimal residual disease testing, multi-cancer early detection, and recurrence monitoring, where payer confidence is still developing.

Recent Developments in Europe Liquid Biopsy Market

• In March 2026, NHS Wales celebrated the launch of QuicDNA Max, expanding liquid biopsy testing across additional solid tumor pathways. Building on the success of QuicDNA in advanced lung cancer, the program is designed to support faster genomic results, fewer invasive procedures, and broader access to personalized treatment across Wales.
• In March 2026, Dxcover secured CE-IVDR Class C certification for its AI-enabled blood-based cancer detection platform. The certification supports commercialization of its liquid biopsy-adjacent diagnostic platform in Europe and strengthens regulatory confidence in blood-based cancer detection technologies.
• In March 2026, Gene Solutions entered the Turkish market through a collaboration with ATC Genomics. The company showcased its ctDNA-powered oncology portfolio, including SPOT-MAS for multi-cancer early detection and K-4CARE for comprehensive genomic profiling and MRD monitoring, supporting broader access to liquid biopsy solutions in Türkiye and neighboring regional markets.

Industry Experts on Europe Liquid Biopsy Market

Growing digital adoption across European pharmaceutical R&D is propelling the liquid biopsy market, with cloud-based drug-discovery platforms emerging as key infrastructure that enables seamless integration of advanced technologies throughout discovery workflows.

Suketu Shah (Sergio Figueiras Gómez, Innovation Director of Bahia Software), stated, "I believe liquid biopsy holds great potential. Its future evolution relies on establishing well-structured databases, information from diagnostic tools, technicians and the integration of symptoms with the recorded data reports. Creating a comprehensive database with organized data will pave the way for leveraging advanced technologies, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence in this domain, enabling us to extract valuable insights, and aid treatment decisions and patient care. As a result, the integration of liquid biopsy into routine clinical practice will become more seamless and effective, driving better patient outcomes."

Discussions with multiple stakeholders in this domain influenced the opinions and insights presented in this study. The market report includes transcripts of the following third-party discussions:

• Chairman, Small Company, US
• Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Small Company, India
• Chief Executive Officer, Small Company, Australia
• Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer, Small Company, US
• Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Small Company, Canada
• Chief Medical Officer, Mid-sized Company, US
• Chief Scientific Officer, Mid-sized Company, US
• Founder and Medical Director, Small Company, Germany
• Founder, Small Company, Sweden
• Innovation Director, Mid-sized Company, Spain
• Director, Mid-sized Company, US
• Former Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Small Company, US
• Former Chief Executive Officer, Mid-sized Company, US
• Former Founder, Small Company, US
• Former Marketing Director, Mid-sized Company, Belgium
• Former Strategic Technology Advisor, Small Company, Australia
• Former Sales and Marketing Manager, Small Company, Italy

Market Share Insights

Which Type of Technology Accounts for the Largest Share in the Europe Liquid Biopsy Market?

As per Europe liquid biopsy market analysis, the next-generation sequencing segment holds the majority (nearly 50%) of the overall market share in the current year. This can be attributed to its ability to provide comprehensive genomic profiling with high sensitivity and specificity from a single blood sample. Compared with conventional molecular diagnostic methods, NGS can simultaneously detect multiple genomic alterations, including single nucleotide variants, insertions / deletions, copy number variations, and gene fusions, making it an indispensable tool for precision oncology. The widespread adoption of NGS for companion diagnostics, treatment selection, minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring, and detection of resistance mutations has significantly contributed to its market dominance.

Further, Europe has a well-established precision medicine ecosystem supported by national genomic initiatives, academic research institutions, and increasing integration of molecular testing into routine oncology practice. For example, Roche offers the AVENIO ctDNA platform, while QIAGEN provides NGS-based liquid biopsy workflow solutions for comprehensive genomic profiling. These factors, together with expanding reimbursement in several European countries and the growing use of companion diagnostics, have reinforced the leading position of the NGS segment in the European liquid biopsy market.

Furthermore, given the increasing clinical evidence supporting NGS-guided treatment decisions and the growing adoption of multi-cancer early detection (MCED) technologies, the next generation sequencing segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period.

Which Type of Cancer Accounts for the Largest Share in the Europe Liquid Biopsy Market?

Currently, lung cancer holds the largest share of the Europe liquid biopsy market owing to its high disease burden, well-established clinical utility of liquid biopsy, and widespread adoption of precision oncology in the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Liquid biopsy has become an integral part of routine clinical practice for identifying actionable genomic alterations such as EGFR, ALK, ROS1, BRAF, MET, RET, and KRAS mutations, enabling clinicians to select appropriate targeted therapies when tissue samples are insufficient or unavailable. The increasing use of liquid biopsy for treatment selection, detection of resistance mutations, and disease monitoring has significantly contributed to market growth.

The pancreatic cancer segment is expected to grow at a significant pace during the forecast period owing to the increasing demand for non-invasive diagnostic tools for a malignancy that is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage and is associated with poor prognosis. Conventional tissue biopsy is often challenging due to the anatomical location of pancreatic tumors, making liquid biopsy an attractive alternative for molecular profiling, treatment monitoring, and recurrence detection.

Furthermore, growing research on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), exosomes, and methylation-based biomarkers is accelerating the development of highly sensitive liquid biopsy assays for early detection and minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring. Europe is also witnessing increasing investment in precision oncology programs and collaborative cancer research initiatives aimed at improving outcomes in difficult-to-treat cancers.

Scope of Europe Liquid Biopsy Market Report