The anatomical pathology market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period.
The COVID-19 outbreak impacted every aspect of the diagnostics industry, including the anatomic pathology market. During the initial pandemic, the number of patient visits to hospitals reduced significantly despite emergency services being available in hospitals. For instance, according to an article published by BMC Health Services Research in February 2022, a study was conducted in the Netherlands, which showed that the initial COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted diagnostic pathology or anatomic pathology in the country. Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the market initially. However, as the pandemic has subsided, cancer diagnosis procedures are taking place normally. Hence, the studied market is expected to have stable growth during the forecast period of the study.
Factors that are driving the market growth are the high incidence of cancer and other target diseases, the growing focus on personalized medicine, and the high usage of advanced pathology equipment.
The rising prevalence of cancer is a major factor driving the market growth, as anatomic pathology is used for the diagnosis of these diseases. For instance, according to the data published by the Spanish Network of Cancer Registries in January 2021, an estimated 0.28 million new cases of cancer were expected in Spain in 2021, out of which 43.6 thousand colorectal cancer cases, 35.8 thousand prostate cancer cases, and 33.4 thousand breast cancer cases were expected.
Moreover, according to the data published by the National Cancer Center Japan in June 2022, an estimated 1,019,000 new cases of cancer were expected in Japan in 2022, out of which 158,200 were new cases of colon/rectum cancer, 132,100 cases of stomach cancer, 128,800 cases of lung/trachea cancer, 96,400 cases of prostate cancer, and 95,000 cases of breast cancer. Thus, the greater incidence of cancers has increased the demand for various anatomic pathology products for the diagnosis of cancers.
Additionally, the rising developments by various organizations are also expected to enhance market growth. For instance, in October 2022, pathologists from Europe, Japan, and the United States jointly debuted the Digital Pathology Connections (DPC), a global community for professionals interested in the digital future of the anatomic pathology laboratory.
Thus, the aforementioned factors, such as the rising prevalence of cancer, increasing demand for personalized medicines, and the rising developments by various organizations, are expected to enhance the market growth. However, stringent government regulations pertaining to anatomic pathology and the lack of skilled professionals are expected to hinder market growth.
The consumables segment is expected to hold a significant market share during the forecast period. The availability of a wide range of products, coupled with a high usage rate of consumables in research findings, is fueling the segment's growth. The low cost and the easy availability of pathology consumables further contributed to the segment's growth. Moreover, the rising prevalence of cancer is a major factor expected to enhance the usage of anatomic pathology consumables.
For instance, according to the data updated by Cancer Australia in January 2021, it was estimated that 20,640 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Australia during 2022, which will account for 12.7% of the new cancer cases diagnosed in the country. The source also stated that breast cancer would be the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2022 in Australia. Thus, the high prevalence of breast cancer is expected to boost segment growth.
Moreover, the rising cancer screening is also expected to increase the consumption of consumables used in anatomic pathology procedures such as biopsies. For instance, according to the data updated by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in 2022, an estimated 6,446,929 screening procedures took place in the United Kingdom during 2021-22 for colorectal cancer diagnosis.
Additionally, the rising developments by major market players are also expected to enhance the segment's growth. For instance, in June 2022, EmeritusDX, a rapidly growing cancer diagnostics and information company, acquired Freedom Pathology Partners to expand its national presence in Anatomic Pathology, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and molecular testing. This is expected to increase access to anatomic pathology consumables during the forecast period of the study.
Thus, the aforementioned factors, such as the rising prevalence of cancer and the rising developments by key market players, are expected to enhance market growth.
North America accounted for a significant revenue share due to the presence of major players and supportive government initiatives pertaining to training pathological programs. There is also easy accessibility to advanced technologies, government initiatives for screening cancer patients, favorable reimbursement scenarios for anatomic pathology diagnostic tests, increasing healthcare expenditure, and the presence of high-quality infrastructure for hospitals and clinical laboratories in the region, which are the major factors driving the growth of the anatomic pathology market in North America.
For instance, as per the Canada Cancer Society's statistics for 2022, around 6,700 Canadians were diagnosed with leukemia in 2021, out of which 4,000 were men and 2,700 were women. Also, as per the American Cancer Society's data for 2023, around 59,610 new cases of leukemia and 20,380 new cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2023. Thus, the high incidence of cancer cases is leading to an increase in the usage of anatomic pathology diagnosis, thereby driving the market in the region.
Furthermore, key entities are undertaking several strategic initiatives to develop upgraded and advanced pathology devices concerning their design and ease of use. For instance, in July 2022, BillionToOne, a United States-based company, launched its first oncology liquid biopsy products, Northstar Select and Northstar Response. As biopsy is considered an anatomic pathology procedure, the launch of such products is expected to enhance the market growth in the region.
Thus, the aforementioned factors, such as the rising prevalence of cancer and the rising developments by key market players, are expected to enhance market growth.
The studied market is moderately fragmented in nature. Product innovation and ongoing R&D activities to develop advanced technologies have helped in boosting the growth of the market. The strategies implemented include collaborative development, business expansion, and product development. Some of the key players operating in the market are Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Quest Diagnostics Incorporated, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, and Agilent Technologies, Inc., among others.
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