Positron Emission Tomography Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Product Type (Full Ring PET Scanner, Partial Ring PET Scanner), By Application (Oncology, Cardiology, Neurology, Others), By End User (Hospitals, Diagnostic Centres, Research Institutes, others), By Region, and By Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 3.12 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	6.99%
Fastest Growing Segment	Oncology
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 4.68 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Positron Emission Tomography Market will grow from USD 3.12 Billion in 2025 to USD 4.68 Billion by 2031 at a 6.99% CAGR. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a functional imaging modality that utilizes radiotracers to visualize and measure metabolic processes, facilitating the precise diagnosis and monitoring of complex medical conditions. The primary drivers propelling the Global Positron Emission Tomography Market include the escalating global prevalence of chronic diseases, particularly within oncology and cardiology, which necessitates high-precision diagnostic tools for early detection and treatment planning. Additionally, the increasing integration of hybrid imaging systems, such as PET/CT and PET/MRI, enhances diagnostic accuracy and workflow efficiency, further stimulating the adoption of these technologies in healthcare facilities worldwide.

However, a significant challenge impeding market expansion is the complex logistics and sporadic shortage of medical radioisotopes, which creates supply chain vulnerabilities and potential service disruptions. The reliance on a limited number of production reactors for these time-sensitive materials remains a critical bottleneck for consistent service delivery. Illustrating the immense scale of the sector, according to the World Nuclear Association, in 2024, approximately 50 million nuclear medicine procedures were performed globally, highlighting the critical dependence of modern healthcare on these advanced diagnostic capabilities.

Key Market Drivers

The escalating global prevalence of cancer constitutes the primary force expanding the Positron Emission Tomography landscape. As oncological burdens rise, the necessity for precise staging, restaging, and evaluation of treatment responses becomes critical, directly increasing the utilization volume of PET scans. These imaging procedures are integral to modern oncology, allowing clinicians to detect metabolic changes before anatomical structures are altered, which is essential for determining appropriate therapeutic interventions. Highlighting this growing clinical burden, according to the American Cancer Society, January 2024, in the 'Cancer Facts & Figures 2024' report, experts projected 2,001,140 new cancer cases in the United States alone for the year. This trajectory ensures a sustained and intensifying demand for imaging services to manage patient pathways effectively across the care continuum.

Simultaneously, the development of novel radiotracers for neurological applications, particularly for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, serves as a secondary but potent market catalyst. Innovations in radiopharmaceuticals now allow for the visualization of amyloid plaques and tau tangles, expanding PET utility beyond oncology into the geriatric and neurology sectors to address age-related cognitive disorders. According to the Alzheimer's Association, March 2024, in the '2024 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures' report, an estimated 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's dementia, creating a substantial patient base for these diagnostic advancements. The commercial viability of these specialized agents is evident; according to Lantheus, in 2024, the company reported worldwide revenue of $1.3 billion for the full year 2023, reflecting the robust financial adoption of advanced PET imaging agents in the current market environment.

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Key Market Challenges

The complex logistics and sporadic shortage of medical radioisotopes constitute a formidable barrier to the expansion of the Global Positron Emission Tomography Market. This sector relies heavily on a fragile supply chain where the production of essential radioactive tracers is concentrated in a small number of facilities and aging nuclear reactors. When these key infrastructure points experience unplanned maintenance or shutdowns, it creates immediate bottlenecks that ripple across the global healthcare system. Consequently, hospitals and imaging centers face severe difficulties in scheduling consistent patient services, leading to procedure cancellations and a reluctance to invest in new PET modalities without guaranteed tracer availability.

This vulnerability is exacerbated by the just-in-time nature of these materials, which decay rapidly and cannot be stockpiled effectively. The inability to secure a stable supply directly impacts market confidence and operational throughput, preventing healthcare providers from fully utilizing their diagnostic capabilities. Illustrating the extent of this regional and global dependency, according to Nuclear Medicine Europe, in 2024, the European market alone accounted for more than 20% of the global consumption of widely used diagnostic isotopes, indicating the substantial volume of patients and facilities immediately susceptible to any disruption in the centralized production network. Such supply insecurity limits the broader adoption of advanced diagnostic procedures, thereby retarding the overall growth trajectory of the market.

Key Market Trends

The integration of artificial intelligence into image reconstruction is fundamentally reshaping the operational capabilities of PET systems. Manufacturers are embedding deep learning algorithms to enhance signal-to-noise ratios, allowing for high-quality imaging with reduced radiotracer doses and shorter scan durations. This technological shift addresses the trade-off between image clarity and patient exposure, enabling the visualization of smaller lesions that were previously undetectable. Validating this surge in algorithmic adoption, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, August 2024, in the 'Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)-Enabled Medical Devices' update, the agency reported that radiology devices accounted for 79% of all authorized AI/ML-enabled medical devices to date, underscoring the massive regulatory clearance of these software enhancements for clinical scanners.

Simultaneously, the rapid expansion of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals is establishing a direct commercial link between diagnostic PET imaging and targeted therapeutic delivery. This approach utilizes specific genomic targets to pair a diagnostic isotope with a therapeutic agent, mandating a PET scan to confirm target expression prior to treatment. This model ensures that only patients who will benefit from the therapy undergo the procedure, thereby making the diagnostic scan a prerequisite for high-value treatments. The financial impact of this trend is substantial; according to Novartis, July 2024, in the 'Q2 2024 Condensed Financial Report', sales for the radioligand therapy Pluvicto reached $345 million, reflecting a 44% increase in constant currency from the prior year and driving the requisite demand for companion PSMA-PET imaging.

Segmental Insights

The Oncology segment is identified as the fastest-growing category within the Global Positron Emission Tomography Market, primarily due to the rising global prevalence of cancer. This growth is sustained by the increasing clinical demand for high-precision imaging to ensure accurate diagnosis, staging, and treatment monitoring. Furthermore, the expansion is supported by frequent approvals of novel radiopharmaceuticals by regulatory authorities, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which broaden the applicability of PET scans for various tumor types. Consequently, the adoption of these diagnostic solutions continues to rise across healthcare facilities to support patient management.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a leading position in the global Positron Emission Tomography market, driven by the rising incidence of chronic diseases such as oncology and neurological disorders. The region benefits from a well-established healthcare infrastructure and significant capital investment in research and development. A primary factor supporting market stability is the implementation of favorable reimbursement policies by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which increases patient access to diagnostic services. Additionally, the strong presence of key manufacturers facilitates the rapid commercialization and adoption of new imaging modalities across the United States and Canada.

Recent Developments

• In October 2024, United Imaging Healthcare launched the uMI Panvivo PET/CT system at the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) Congress in Hamburg, Germany. This newly unveiled platform features a scalable architecture and air-cooled digital detectors, achieving a time-of-flight resolution of 219 picoseconds. The system is engineered to provide high-resolution imaging and precise quantification, supporting robust clinical decision-making in molecular imaging. Alongside this launch, the company also showcased the uMI Panorama GS, highlighting its expanding portfolio in the European market. These advancements reflect the manufacturer's strategy to deliver accessible, high-quality diagnostic tools to healthcare providers worldwide, facilitating better patient outcomes in oncology.
• In October 2024, Telix Pharmaceuticals announced a strategic collaboration with Subtle Medical to integrate AI-powered image enhancement technology with its commercial PSMA-PET targeting agent, Illuccix. The partnership aims to utilize FDA-cleared deep learning algorithms to accelerate image acquisition times by up to 75% without compromising image quality. By combining the radiopharmaceutical agent with advanced artificial intelligence, the companies seek to address the increasing demand for prostate cancer imaging and improve patient throughput. This initiative represents a forward-thinking approach to combining theranostics with digital healthcare solutions, intended to optimize workflow efficiency for nuclear medicine departments and enhance the overall patient experience.
• In September 2024, GE HealthCare received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Flyrcado (flurpiridaz F 18), a novel positron emission tomography myocardial perfusion imaging agent. This radiotracer represents a significant breakthrough in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, offering higher diagnostic efficacy compared to traditional SPECT imaging. The approval allows for broader access to cardiac PET imaging as the agent can be manufactured in an offsite pharmacy and delivered as a unit dose, removing the requirement for onsite cyclotrons. This development is expected to improve diagnostic confidence and workflow efficiency for clinicians treating patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.
• In June 2024, Siemens Healthineers introduced the Biograph Trinion, a new high-performance positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanner, at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting. The system features a scalable, air-cooled digital detector based on lutetium oxyorthosilicate crystal elements, designed to deliver high spatial resolution and ultrafast time-of-flight performance. This new platform focuses on user-centric design and operational efficiency, offering a compact footprint that eliminates the need for a separate equipment room. The scanner received FDA clearance and is intended to enhance clinical capabilities in oncology, neurology, and cardiology while lowering lifetime operational costs for healthcare providers.

Key Market Players

• GE HealthCare Technologies Inc.
• Toshiba Corporation
• Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Siemens Healthineers AG
• Hitachi Medical Corporation
• Positron Corporation
• Mediso Ltd.
• Yangzhou Kindsway Biotech Co., Ltd.

By Product Type	By Application	By End User	By Region
Full Ring PET Scanner Partial Ring PET Scanner	Oncology Cardiology Neurology Others	Hospitals Diagnostic Centres Research Institutes others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

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

• Positron Emission Tomography Market, By Product Type:

• Full Ring PET Scanner
• Partial Ring PET Scanner

• Positron Emission Tomography Market, By Application:

• Oncology
• Cardiology
• Neurology
• Others

• Positron Emission Tomography Market, By End User:

• Hospitals
• Diagnostic Centres
• Research Institutes
• others

• Positron Emission Tomography 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