Circulating Tumor Cells Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Product (Kits & Reagents, Blood Collection Tubes, Devices or Systems), By Technology (CTC Detection & Enrichment Methods, CTC Direct Detection Methods, CTC Analysis), By Region and Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 7.06 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	7.57%
Fastest Growing Segment	Kits & Reagents
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 10.94 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Circulating Tumor Cells Market will grow from USD 7.06 Billion in 2025 to USD 10.94 Billion by 2031 at a 7.57% CAGR. Circulating tumor cells are cancer cells that detach from primary tumors and enter the bloodstream, serving as critical biomarkers for metastatic progression and therapeutic monitoring. The market is primarily driven by the rising global prevalence of cancer and the increasing demand for non-invasive liquid biopsy diagnostics. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2025, an estimated 2,041,910 new cancer cases were projected to be diagnosed in the United States, highlighting the critical need for effective disease management tools. Furthermore, the ability to perform frequent patient assessments without the risks associated with surgical interventions continues to bolster industry expansion.

However, the market encounters a significant challenge regarding the lack of standardization in cell isolation technologies. The extremely low abundance of these cells in blood samples complicates consistent detection and reproducibility across different platforms. This technical complexity necessitates expensive instrumentation and specialized processing, resulting in high operational costs that limit widespread clinical adoption and reimbursement within standard healthcare systems.

Key Market Drivers

Technological advancements in microfluidic and chip-based isolation are revolutionizing the market by addressing the critical bottleneck of low cell abundance in blood samples. These specialized platforms now enable the label-free capture and harvesting of intact circulating tumor cells, facilitating downstream analysis that was previously impossible with older epithelial marker-dependent methods. The commercial viability of these innovations is evident in the growing adoption of such systems; for instance, according to Alliance News, January 2025, Angle plc reported that its full-year 2024 revenue surged to £2.9 million, driven by the increased deployment of its Parsortix liquid biopsy system in pharma services and clinical settings. This shift towards high-sensitivity enrichment tools allows clinicians to perform longitudinal monitoring of metastatic potential with greater precision, directly enhancing patient management strategies and driving market growth.

Concurrently, the expansion of public and private funding for oncology research is accelerating the translation of liquid biopsy technologies from academic laboratories to routine clinical practice. Governments and major health organizations are heavily investing in large-scale studies to validate CTC biomarkers for early detection and treatment selection, recognizing the urgent requirement to address the growing cancer burden. This clinical urgency is underscored by the European Commission, which noted in December 2025 that there were approximately 2.7 million new cancer cases estimated across EU Member States in 2024, creating a massive demand for scalable diagnostic solutions. In direct response to such needs, substantial financial grants are being awarded to pioneer new methodologies; notably, according to GenomeWeb, May 2025, Oslo University Hospital received a €13.6 million European Union grant specifically to develop and validate liquid biopsy tests for hereditary cancer syndromes.

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Key Market Challenges

The lack of standardization in cell isolation technologies represents a significant impediment to the expansion of the Global Circulating Tumor Cells Market. Because circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are present in extremely low abundance within blood samples, detecting them requires complex, highly sensitive instrumentation that often varies in methodology across different manufacturers. This technical inconsistency leads to variable and irreproducible results between laboratories, making it difficult for oncologists to rely on CTCs for critical treatment decisions with the same confidence as established tissue biopsies. Consequently, this variability creates a substantial barrier to regulatory validation and acceptance by the broader medical community.

These technical challenges directly contribute to prohibitive operational costs, further hampering market growth. The specialized equipment and labor-intensive workflows required to isolate these rare cells drive up the price per test, creating a challenging environment for widespread reimbursement. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2025, an estimated 618,120 cancer deaths were projected to occur in the United States, underscoring the urgent need for advanced monitoring tools. However, despite this immense clinical burden, healthcare payers and insurance providers remain hesitant to cover expensive, non-standardized CTC assays, thereby limiting their adoption in standard clinical practice and restricting the market’s revenue potential.

Key Market Trends

The integration of Artificial Intelligence for Automated CTC Detection is fundamentally reshaping the market by overcoming the historical challenge of identifying rare tumor cells amidst billions of blood cells. Advanced machine learning algorithms are now being deployed to analyze high-content images, significantly improving detection sensitivity and reducing the variability associated with manual operator bias. This technological leap allows for the standardization of workflows and higher throughput, directly addressing the scalability issues that have hindered clinical adoption. Validating this progress, according to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, May 2024, a study utilizing automated deep learning models for circulating tumor cell analysis demonstrated a detection accuracy of approximately 96.66%, highlighting the potential of AI to deliver the reliability required for routine diagnostic use.

Simultaneously, the industry is witnessing a decisive Shift from Simple Enumeration to Molecular Phenotyping, moving beyond merely counting cells to characterizing their biological properties for precision medicine. Clinicians and researchers are increasingly focused on analyzing the proteomic and genomic profiles of isolated cells to identify specific therapeutic targets and resistance mechanisms, rather than just assessing metastatic burden. This transition towards deeper biological insight is attracting significant investment to support the development of next-generation characterization tools. For instance, according to RareCyte, Inc., June 2024, the company successfully completed a $20 million financing round specifically aimed at expanding its precision biology platform, which enables the visual retrieval and molecular profiling of single circulating tumor cells.

Segmental Insights

The Kits & Reagents segment represents the fastest growing category within the Global Circulating Tumor Cells Market due to the rising adoption of liquid biopsy procedures in clinical and research settings. This expansion is driven by the frequent need to replenish these consumables for continuous cancer monitoring, creating a consistent revenue stream distinct from one-time equipment purchases. Additionally, validation from authorities such as the US Food and Drug Administration for specific assay kits has enhanced confidence in their usage. Consequently, research institutes and hospitals are increasingly investing in these essential supplies to ensure accurate tumor cell detection.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a leading position in the global circulating tumor cells market, driven by rising cancer incidence and a robust clinical research environment. This dominance is largely attributed to substantial funding for oncology research from institutions such as the National Cancer Institute. Additionally, the region benefits from the presence of key industry players and favorable reimbursement policies that encourage the adoption of diagnostic tests. Clear regulatory pathways established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration further facilitate the commercialization of new diagnostic solutions, securing the region's market superiority.

Recent Developments

• In May 2024, ANGLE plc signed a supplier agreement with AstraZeneca to develop a specialized androgen receptor detection assay using its Parsortix system. The collaboration aimed to create a method for assessing androgen receptor protein expression on circulating tumor cells derived from prostate cancer patient samples. The agreement, valued at £550,000, involved the development of the assay at the company's laboratories in the United Kingdom. The Chief Executive Officer of ANGLE plc stated that this partnership would validate the use of their system in clinical trials, providing pharmaceutical partners with critical insights into the efficacy of new cancer therapies.
• In March 2024, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. announced the launch of validated antibodies designed specifically for the enumeration of rare cells and circulating tumor cells. The company stated that these antibodies were optimized to bind with high specificity to surface markers on circulating tumor cells, ensuring precise identification in blood samples. When used with the company's enumeration stain kits, the new products allowed for a detailed analysis of tumor heterogeneity and disease evolution. This release was intended to support the growing demand for sensitive diagnostic tools in oncology research, enabling scientists to better study the dynamics of cancer metastasis.
• In March 2024, TellBio, Inc. announced the publication of data in JCO Precision Oncology highlighting the prognostic capabilities of its circulating tumor cell isolation technology. The study focused on patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer undergoing treatment with radium-223. Researchers used the company’s platform to screen for circulating tumor cells and identified a correlation between specific cell counts and patient survival rates. The Chief Executive Officer of TellBio remarked that the findings demonstrated the platform's potential to serve as a non-invasive biomarker, helping clinicians assess therapy response and identify patients likely to benefit from specific treatments.
• In January 2024, Menarini Silicon Biosystems announced positive outcomes from the DETECT III study, published in the Journal of Clinical Chemistry, regarding its circulating tumor cell technology. The research utilized the company's CellSearch system to identify patients with advanced breast cancer who had HER2-positive circulating tumor cells despite having HER2-negative tissue biopsies. The findings revealed that patients treated with a HER2-targeted therapy in combination with standard care achieved significantly improved overall survival compared to the control group. The company emphasized that these results validated the utility of their blood-based test in guiding personalized treatment decisions and monitoring disease progression.

Key Market Players

• QIAGEN N.V.
• Bio-Techne Corp.
• Precision Medicine Group, LLC
• Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
• Natera, Inc.
• Illumina, Inc.
• Greiner Bio-One International GmbH
• Ikonisys Inc.
• Creative Bioarray
• Abnova Corporation

By Product	By Technology	By Region
Kits & Reagents Blood Collection Tubes Devices or Systems	CTC Detection & Enrichment Methods CTC Direct Detection Methods CTC Analysis	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Circulating Tumor Cells Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Circulating Tumor Cells Market, By Product:

• Kits & Reagents
• Blood Collection Tubes
• Devices or Systems

• Circulating Tumor Cells Market, By Technology:

• CTC Detection & Enrichment Methods
• CTC Direct Detection Methods
• CTC Analysis

• Circulating Tumor Cells Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE