European Alliance for Personalised Medicine shared a post LinkedIn:
“From Promise to Policy: Europe Must Act Now on Liquid Biopsy.
At EAPM, we believe Europe’s challenge in personalized oncology is no longer scientific readiness, it is policy follow-through.
Breast cancer alone accounts for approximately 355,000 new cases and more than 90,000 deaths every year in the EU. In metastatic disease, liquid biopsy biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are no longer experimental tools.
Patients with five or more CTCs per 7.5 mL of blood consistently experience markedly poorer outcomes, enabling clinicians to distinguish biologically aggressive from more indolent disease and adapt treatment intensity accordingly.
In clinical studies, biomarker-driven decisions have diverged from standard clinical judgement in nearly four out of ten cases, with measurable survival benefits when treatment was adjusted based on biology rather than symptoms alone.
Yet while the science advances, policy lags behind.
Globally, the liquid biopsy market stands at around USD 5 billion today, projected to exceed USD 20 billion within the next decade. The United States leads with clearer reimbursement pathways and faster regulatory uptake. Asia-Pacific markets are accelerating through national precision medicine strategies.
Europe presents a paradox: strong research capacity and one of the fastest projected growth rates, but fragmented clinical adoption. Access to advanced liquid biopsy testing varies significantly between Member States, directly undermining the EU’s ambition to reduce cancer inequalities and ensure equitable access to innovation.
Europe must recalibrate. Liquid biopsy should be recognized as core cancer infrastructure, embedded into guidelines and care pathways. HTA bodies must evolve towards adaptive models that integrate real-world evidence. Investment in laboratory capacity, standardization, and workforce skills is essential to avoid a two-speed Europe in cancer diagnostics.
During Vision Europe 2030, we spoke with Catherine Alix-Panabières, who co-coined the term “liquid biopsy” in 2010, together with Klaus Pantel, and has dedicated over 26 years to advancing this field.
In our conversation, she highlights the power of European collaboration and harmonization to accelerate clinical translation and make liquid biopsy a standard part of routine care. Through the European Liquid Biopsy Society, she stresses the importance of shared expertise, education, and best practices in clinical trials.
Her message is clear: Europe has the scientific strength and collaborative networks to lead, but implementation must follow innovation.
Europe has the science. Europe has the networks. Now Europe needs the political resolve.”
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