Liquid Biopsy Markets: Market Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Technology and Partnering Opportunities, 2027-2031 (10th Edition)

Liquid biopsy tests find and analyse material that tumours shed into the blood: circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), the methylation and fragment patterns of cell-free DNA, circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and extracellular vesicles. A blood draw is easy to repeat, so the tests can guide therapy without a new tissue sample, track response and relapse, and, increasingly, screen people who have no symptoms.

Market Size 2026: USD $8.5B Market Size 2031: USD $17.5B CAGR: 15.4%

The past year has changed the market more than any since this report was first published. The FDA approved a second blood test for colorectal cancer screening and the first companion diagnostic based on minimal residual disease (MRD) testing. An FDA advisory panel backed the first multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test, and a new U.S. law allows Medicare to pay for MCED tests once they are approved. Abbott completed its $21 billion acquisition of Exact Sciences, and Roche, Natera, Tempus AI and CareDx all bought MRD specialists.

Market values are at the manufacturer level: kits and instruments at their selling price, and tests run in a manufacturer's own central laboratory at their test price. Stool-based tests are excluded.

Situation Analysis: what is really happening

Screening is where the growth is. Single-cancer and multi-cancer screening rise from 18% to 34% of the market and supply 48% of the $9.0 billion of new spending. Two blood tests for colorectal screening are now FDA approved, and Medicare can cover approved MCED tests from 2029.
MRD is the largest single source of growth. MRD and monitoring adds $2.6 billion to reach $4.8 billion in 2031. Signatera CDx became the first FDA-approved MRD companion diagnostic in May 2026.
Therapy selection is maturing. It remains the largest application at $5.5 billion in 2031, but grows only 6.3% a year and falls from 48% to 31% of the market.
The epigenomic shift. Tests that read methylation and fragment patterns grow 28% a year, from 16% to 27% of the market, reaching $4.7 billion.
Central laboratories capture the value. Tests run in manufacturers' own laboratories rise from 62% to 68% of the market. Roche's plan for a hospital-run MRD test is the first serious challenge to that model.

Market Segmentation

The forecast covers 2027 to 2031 from a 2026 base year, for 14 countries and regions, in five segments:

Cancer type: lung, breast, colorectal, prostate, HPV-associated, multi-cancer, other cancers
Application: single-cancer screening, multi-cancer screening, diagnosis and triage, therapy selection and companion diagnostics, MRD and monitoring
Analyte: ctDNA (genomic), cell-free DNA (epigenomic), CTCs, exosomes and extracellular vesicles, other analytes
Technology platform: NGS, PCR and digital PCR, other platforms
Product: central laboratory services, kits and reagents, instruments

Company Analysis

The report profiles 90 companies, each on one to two pages with a fact box (website, headquarters, ownership, revenue, employees, founding year and key products) and sections on the company, its products and technology, strategy and recent developments, and competitive position and risks. They include:

Abbott (Exact Sciences), Agilent, AmoyDx, ANGLE, Bio-Rad, BGI Genomics, Burning Rock, CareDx, Caris Life Sciences, Delfi Diagnostics, Epic Sciences, Foundation Medicine (Roche), Freenome, GRAIL, Guardant Health, Harbinger Health, Illumina, Labcorp, Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Myriad Genetics, Natera, NeoGenomics, Personalis (Tempus AI), Qiagen, Quest Diagnostics, Roche Diagnostics, SAGA Diagnostics, Sysmex, Tempus AI, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Veracyte and VolitionRx.

Questions this report answers

How fast will blood-based screening grow, and when will Medicare pay for multi-cancer tests?
How large can MRD testing become now that it guides treatment as well as prognosis?
Which analytes and technologies will win: mutations, methylation, fragments, CTCs or vesicles?
Will central laboratories keep their hold on the market, or will testing move to hospital laboratories?
What are MRD and screening companies selling for, and who is buying?
How large is each country market, and how fast is China growing?

What's inside

407 pages, 24 chapters, 51 tables and 59 figures
Forecasts for 2027–2031 from a 2026 base year, by cancer type, application, analyte, technology platform and product, for 14 countries and regions
Approved and launched test landscape, clinical evidence and pipeline, companion diagnostics and pharma partnerships
Regulation and reimbursement, intellectual property and pricing, a China chapter and a deal database
10 market-moving developments from 2025 and 2026, plus a three-year developments archive
SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces and strategic recommendations
90 company profiles
Includes an Excel workbook of all forecast tables and charts

Who buys this report

Diagnostics executives and business development teams: size screening and MRD opportunities and find partners and acquisition targets.
Pharma companion diagnostic teams: choose liquid biopsy partners and plan ctDNA endpoints in trials.
Investors and analysts: model the growth of screening and MRD and benchmark deal values.
Laboratory and instrument suppliers: judge demand for sequencing, PCR and kits in central and hospital laboratories.

Product Code: CANLB 1026

1. Executive Summary

1.1 Situation Analysis
1.2 Market Snapshot
1.3 Key Findings
1.4 Investment & Strategic Thesis

2. Research Methodology & Scope

2.1 Forecast Approach
2.2 Data Sources
2.3 Scope & Definitions
2.4 Limitations
2.5 Authors

3. Introduction to Liquid Biopsy

3.1 What is Liquid Biopsy?
3.2 The Sequencing Revolution
3.3 Tissue Biopsy Today
3.4 The Situation Today – Biopsy Analysis
3.5 Liquid Biopsy Analytes
3.6 The Promise of Liquid Biopsy

4. The Global Market for Liquid Biopsy

4.1 Global Market Overview by Country
4.2 Global Market by Cancer Type – Overview
4.3 Global Market by Application – Overview
4.4 Global Market by Analyte – Overview
4.5 Global Market by Technology Platform – Overview
4.6 Global Market by Product – Overview

5. Approved & Launched Test Landscape

5.1 FDA-Approved Liquid Biopsy Tests
5.2 Leading Laboratory-Developed Tests
5.3 Commercial Benchmarking
5.4 Clinical Applications by Analyte

6. Clinical Evidence & Test Pipeline

6.1 Pipeline Overview
6.2 Landmark Clinical Studies
6.3 Phases of Adoption
6.4 The Screening Opportunity
6.5 Cancer Management vs. Diagnosis

7. Technology Landscape

7.1 CTC Detection Platforms
7.2 Circulating Tumour DNA Methods
7.3 Next-Generation Sequencing
7.4 Instrumentation and Automation
7.5 Artificial Intelligence
7.6 Other Emerging Technologies

8. Companion Diagnostics & Pharma Partnerships

8.1 Liquid Biopsy Companion Diagnostics
8.2 Pharma Partnerships
8.3 Commercial and Biological Rationale

9. Regulatory & Reimbursement Landscape

9.1 United States: FDA and Laboratory-Developed Tests
9.2 Europe, China and Other Markets
9.3 Reimbursement
9.4 Laboratory Accreditation

10. Intellectual Property, Litigation & Pricing

10.1 Patent Landscape
10.2 Litigation
10.3 Price Erosion

11. China Liquid Biopsy Ecosystem

11.1 Market Overview
11.2 Key Companies
11.3 Sequencing Supply and Trade Tensions
11.4 Why China Matters to Global Companies

12. Deal-Making & M&A Analysis

12.1 Deal Database
12.2 Deal Themes
12.3 Valuation Trends

13. Recent Developments

13.1 Recent Developments – Importance and How to Use This Section
13.2 FDA Advisory Panel Backs GRAIL's Galleri Multi-Cancer Early Detection Test
13.3 FDA Approves Freenome's SimpleScreen CRC Blood Test; Abbott to Commercialize
13.4 Tempus AI to Acquire Personalis for $1.5 Billion
13.5 FDA Approves the New Guardant360 Liquid CDx, the Largest Approved Liquid Biopsy
13.6 Signatera CDx Becomes the First FDA-Approved MRD Companion Diagnostic
13.7 Roche to Acquire SAGA Diagnostics for up to $595 Million
13.8 CareDx to Acquire Naveris for up to $260 Million
13.9 Medicare Coverage Law for Multi-Cancer Early Detection Tests Signed
13.10 NHS-Galleri Results: Fewer Stage IV Cancers, but Primary Endpoint Missed
13.11 Natera Acquires Foresight Diagnostics for up to $450 Million

14. Laboratory Operations & Supply Chain

14.1 Central Laboratories vs. Hospital Laboratories
14.2 Decentralisation
14.3 Physician Offices and Point of Care
14.4 Sequencing and Reagent Supply
14.5 Capacity and Turnaround

15. Competitive Landscape

15.1 Market Structure
15.2 Healthcare and the IVD Industry
15.3 Leading Companies
15.4 Emerging and China-Based Players
15.5 Outlook

16. SWOT, Porter's Five Forces & Investment Risk Analysis

16.1 Factors Driving Growth
16.2 Factors Limiting Growth
16.3 SWOT Analysis
16.4 Porter's Five Forces
16.5 Key Investment Risks

17. Strategic Recommendations

17.1 Guidance for Executives, Marketing, Sales and Business Development
17.2 White-Space Opportunities
17.3 Partnering Strategy Guidance

18. Market Forecast by Cancer Type, 2026–2031

18.1 Lung
18.2 Breast
18.3 Colorectal
18.4 Prostate
18.5 HPV-Associated
18.6 Multi-Cancer
18.7 Other Cancer

19. Market Forecast by Application, 2026–2031

19.1 Single-Cancer Screening
19.2 Multi-Cancer Screening
19.3 Diagnosis & Triage
19.4 Therapy Selection / CDx
19.5 MRD & Monitoring

20. Market Forecast by Analyte, 2026–2031

20.1 ctDNA – Genomic
20.2 cfDNA – Epigenomic
20.3 CTC
20.4 Exosomes / EVs
20.5 Other Analyte

21. Market Forecast by Technology Platform, 2026–2031

21.1 NGS
21.2 PCR & Digital PCR
21.3 Other Platform

22. Market Forecast by Product, 2026–2031

22.1 Central Lab Services
22.2 Kits & Reagents
22.3 Instruments

23. Company Profiles

23.1 Abbott Laboratories
23.2 AccuraGen
23.3 AcuamarkDx
23.4 Admera Health
23.5 Agilent Technologies
23.6 Amoy Diagnostics (AmoyDx)
23.7 AnchorDx (Kindstar Globalgene)
23.8 ANGLE plc
23.9 ARUP Laboratories
23.10 Beckman Coulter (Danaher)
23.11 Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD)
23.12 BGI Genomics
23.13 BillionToOne
23.14 Bioarray Genetics
23.15 Biocartis
23.16 Biodesix
23.17 BioFluidica
23.18 Biolidics
23.19 bioMerieux
23.20 Bioneer
23.21 Bio-Rad Laboratories
23.22 Bio-Techne
23.23 BioView
23.24 Burning Rock Biotech
23.25 CareDx
23.26 Caris Life Sciences
23.27 CellCarta
23.28 CellMax Life
23.29 Cepheid (Danaher)
23.30 Circulogene
23.31 Cizzle Biotechnology
23.32 Clinical Genomics
23.33 Datar Cancer Genetics
23.34 Delfi Diagnostics
23.35 Dxcover
23.36 Element Biosciences
23.37 Epic Sciences
23.38 Eurofins Scientific
23.39 Exact Sciences (Abbott)
23.40 Fluxion Biosciences
23.41 Foundation Medicine (Roche)
23.42 Freenome
23.43 FYR Diagnostics (FYR Bio)
23.44 GeneFirst
23.45 Genetron Health
23.46 GRAIL
23.47 Guardant Health
23.48 HansaBioMed Life Sciences (Lonza)
23.49 Harbinger Health
23.50 HLB Panagene
23.51 iCellate Medical
23.52 Illumina
23.53 INOVIQ
23.54 Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
23.55 Labcorp
23.56 Lucence
23.57 MDxHealth
23.58 Menarini Silicon Biosystems
23.59 MilliporeSigma (Merck KGaA)
23.60 Miltenyi Biotec
23.61 miR Scientific
23.62 Mirxes
23.63 Myriad Genetics
23.64 Natera
23.65 NeoGenomics
23.66 Novogene
23.67 On-Chip Biotechnologies
23.68 Oncocyte
23.69 OncoDNA
23.70 Oxford Nanopore Technologies
23.71 Personalis (Tempus AI)
23.72 Predicine
23.73 Promega
23.74 Qiagen
23.75 Quest Diagnostics
23.76 Rarecells Diagnostics
23.77 RareCyte
23.78 Revvity
23.79 Roche Diagnostics
23.80 SAGA Diagnostics (Roche)
23.81 ScreenCell
23.82 Siemens Healthineers
23.83 Singlera Genomics
23.84 Standard BioTools
23.85 Sysmex (Sysmex Inostics)
23.86 Tempus AI
23.87 Thermo Fisher Scientific
23.88 Ultima Genomics
23.89 Veracyte
23.90 VolitionRx

24. Appendix

24.1 Abbreviations
24.2 Report Limitations Restated
24.3 Developments Archive
24.4 IVD Test Menu and Fee Data

Product Code: CANLB 1026

List of Tables

Table 1 Leading Liquid Biopsy Tests
Table 2 Biopsy Sites
Table 3 Global Market by Country
Table 4 Global Market by Cancer Type
Table 5 Global Market by Application
Table 6 Global Market by Analyte
Table 7 Global Market by Technology Platform
Table 8 Global Market by Product
Table 9 FDA-Approved and Cleared Liquid Biopsy Tests
Table 10 Leading Laboratory-Developed Liquid Biopsy Tests
Table 11 Commercial Benchmarking of Leading Companies
Table 12 LB Clinical Applications by Entity
Table 13 Landmark Liquid Biopsy Studies
Table 14 Outlook - Phases of Liquid Biopsy Adoption by Year
Table 15 Advantages of Liquid Biopsy in Screening Market
Table 16 Next Generation Sequencing Technologies – Speed and Cost
Table 17 Selected FDA-Approved Liquid Biopsy Companion Diagnostics
Table 18 Selected Liquid Biopsy Litigation
Table 19 Selected Chinese Liquid Biopsy Companies
Table 20 Liquid Biopsy Deal Database
Table 21 Market Players by Type
Table 22 Five Factors Driving Growth
Table 23 Factors Limiting Growth
Table 24 SWOT Analysis – Internal Factors
Table 25 SWOT Analysis – External Factors
Table 26 Lung by Country
Table 27 Breast by Country
Table 28 Colorectal by Country
Table 29 Prostate by Country
Table 30 HPV-Associated by Country
Table 31 Multi-Cancer by Country
Table 32 Other Cancer by Country
Table 33 Single-Cancer Screening by Country
Table 34 Multi-Cancer Screening by Country
Table 35 Diagnosis & Triage by Country
Table 36 Therapy Selection / CDx by Country
Table 37 MRD & Monitoring by Country
Table 38 ctDNA – Genomic by Country
Table 39 cfDNA – Epigenomic by Country
Table 40 CTC by Country
Table 41 Exosomes / EVs by Country
Table 42 Other Analyte by Country
Table 43 NGS by Country
Table 44 PCR & Digital PCR by Country
Table 45 Other Platform by Country
Table 46 Central Lab Services by Country
Table 47 Kits & Reagents by Country
Table 48 Instruments by Country
Table 49 The Most Common Assays
Table 50 Largest Revenue Assays
Table 51 Clinical Lab Fee Schedule

List of Figures

Figure 1 Key Graphic – Where the Growth Is: Liquid Biopsy Market by Application, 2026 vs 2031
Figure 2 Comparison of Liquid vs Tissue Biopsy
Figure 3 Entities Analyzed in liquid Biopsy
Figure 4 Characteristics of Different Vesicle Types
Figure 5 Global Market Pareto Chart
Figure 6 Global Market by Cancer Type - Base vs. Final
Figure 7 Global Market by Cancer Type Base Year
Figure 8 Global Market by Cancer Type End Year
Figure 9 Cancer Type Share by Year
Figure 10 Cancer Type Segments Growth
Figure 11 Global Market by Application - Base vs. Final
Figure 12 Global Market by Application Base Year
Figure 13 Global Market by Application End Year
Figure 14 Application Share by Year
Figure 15 Application Segments Growth
Figure 16 Global Market by Analyte - Base vs. Final
Figure 17 Global Market by Analyte Base Year
Figure 18 Global Market by Analyte End Year
Figure 19 Analyte Share by Year
Figure 20 Analyte Segments Growth
Figure 21 Global Market by Technology Platform - Base vs. Final
Figure 22 Global Market by Technology Platform Base Year
Figure 23 Global Market by Technology Platform End Year
Figure 24 Technology Platform Share by Year
Figure 25 Technology Platform Segments Growth
Figure 26 Global Market by Product - Base vs. Final
Figure 27 Global Market by Product Base Year
Figure 28 Global Market by Product End Year
Figure 29 Product Share by Year
Figure 30 Product Segments Growth
Figure 31 Global Healthcare Spending Picture
Figure 32 The Global Lab Test Pie
Figure 33 The Changing Age of World Population
Figure 34 Health Care Consumption by Age
Figure 35 Cancer Incidence - Age at Diagnosis
Figure 36 Lung Growth
Figure 37 Breast Growth
Figure 38 Colorectal Growth
Figure 39 Prostate Growth
Figure 40 HPV-Associated Growth
Figure 41 Multi-Cancer Growth
Figure 42 Other Cancer Growth
Figure 43 Single-Cancer Screening Growth
Figure 44 Multi-Cancer Screening Growth
Figure 45 Diagnosis & Triage Growth
Figure 46 Therapy Selection / CDx Growth
Figure 47 MRD & Monitoring Growth
Figure 48 ctDNA – Genomic Growth
Figure 49 cfDNA – Epigenomic Growth
Figure 50 CTC Growth
Figure 51 Exosomes / EVs Growth
Figure 52 Other Analyte Growth
Figure 53 NGS Growth
Figure 54 PCR & Digital PCR Growth
Figure 55 Other Platform Growth
Figure 56 Central Lab Services Growth
Figure 57 Kits & Reagents Growth
Figure 58 Instruments Growth
Figure 59 IVD Test Menu Growth
Figure 60 IVD Test Average Fees – A Ten Year View

Liquid Biopsy Markets: Market Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Technology and Partnering Opportunities, 2027-2031 (10th Edition)

Description

Table of Contents

List of Tables

Market Overview:

Situation Analysis: what is really happening

Market Segmentation

Company Analysis

Questions this report answers

What's inside

Who buys this report

1. Executive Summary

2. Research Methodology & Scope

3. Introduction to Liquid Biopsy

4. The Global Market for Liquid Biopsy

5. Approved & Launched Test Landscape

6. Clinical Evidence & Test Pipeline

7. Technology Landscape

8. Companion Diagnostics & Pharma Partnerships

9. Regulatory & Reimbursement Landscape

10. Intellectual Property, Litigation & Pricing

11. China Liquid Biopsy Ecosystem

12. Deal-Making & M&A Analysis

13. Recent Developments

14. Laboratory Operations & Supply Chain

15. Competitive Landscape

16. SWOT, Porter's Five Forces & Investment Risk Analysis

17. Strategic Recommendations

18. Market Forecast by Cancer Type, 2026–2031

19. Market Forecast by Application, 2026–2031

20. Market Forecast by Analyte, 2026–2031

21. Market Forecast by Technology Platform, 2026–2031

22. Market Forecast by Product, 2026–2031

23. Company Profiles

24. Appendix

List of Tables

List of Figures