The market for oncology drugs in the European region was worth USD 54.79 billion in 2024 and is forecasted to grow by 8.20% from 2024 to 2029.1 New treatments are being developed, including vaccines, radiotherapies, surgical interventions, targeted therapy, and immunotherapies, with investment in screening and diagnostics.
Innovations are crucial for enhancing the quality of health services, patient experiences, and clinical outcomes, particularly within financially constrained systems like the NHS in the UK. With a multitude of innovations emerging, adoption will vary, making it important to identify those that best meet the needs of oncologists and cancer centres.
Bryter asked senior UK oncologists to reflect on the innovations they considered most impactful to their patient care in 2024 and those they are most looking forward to in 2025.
To understand how innovations benefit real-world practice, a survey including two open-ended questions was completed by 80 consultant UK oncologists. The first question asked for a reflection on the last year - Looking back on 2024, what were the top 3 advancements that benefited your patients in oncology? The second question addressed future trends - What are the top 3 innovations or changes within the field of oncology you look forward to in 2025?
Summary of key findings
2024’s top innovations in cancer cited by oncologists.
The 2024 innovations considered to have the most impact on cancer patient care included the expanded use of immunotherapies, adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), improvements in diagnostics, expanded biomarker testing, and the introduction of cancer vaccines.
2025’s top innovations in cancer cited by oncologists.
Oncologists are most looking forward to expanded licenses and introductions of targeted therapies (including ADCs), further integration of AI, and greater availability
Conclusion
Innovations oncologists most value:
Asked about the innovations that were most impactful from 2024 and are most sought in 2025, oncologists focus on personalized or precision medicine, with expanded usage of immunotherapies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to enhance patient outcomes. Biomarker testing continues to evolve following new therapeutic introductions, ensuring the individualisation of therapy, and oncologists look forward to the future utilisation of liquid biopsies to further extend patient access to testing and targeted treatments.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is filtering into cancer pathways and is becoming a greater area of interest for oncologists. The most notable application is within diagnostics, where AI is set to speed up and enhance accuracy, driving earlier identification. New AI trials, such as the UK’s recent world-leading breast cancer screening programme, demonstrate the continued growth in this area, with AI remaining a key priority to increase efficiency and improve outcomes.2
Advancements in cancer diagnostics were cited as the third most widely identified impactful innovation from 2024. Innovations such as enhanced Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography (PSMA-PET) imaging allow better surgical precision, earlier diagnosis, and more timely treatment decision-making.
Other significant areas of development include cancer vaccines and radioligand therapies. For example, cancer patients in England are set to gain access to trials of personalized cancer mRNA vaccines. People with cancer receiving treatment can be assessed to see if they might be eligible to join a cancer vaccine clinical trial and then referred to a hospital running a trial.3
Discussion
How will the adoption of AI and diagnostic advancements impact treatment choice?
Pharmaceutical companies marketing therapeutic options need to understand how the integration of AI will impact treatment decision-making. Advancements in diagnostic tools and monitoring techniques alter the patient pathways, and clinicians may need to readjust the point at which patients should receive each treatment. This can be an area for great clinical debate, especially as many clinical drug trials included ‘older’ pathways and processes.
Which innovations will be prioritised in the future?
Innovations supporting better clinical outcomes are important as health services strive to improve cancer survival rates, especially within the UK, which is lagging behind other European countries. Early detection and timely treatment remain key priorities, with innovations supporting screening and speedier diagnosis highly valued.
Whilst oncologists embrace innovation, the adoption of new treatments and technology is impacted by continued pressures on healthcare capacity, funding, and staffing. Patient outcomes and experiences remain at the top of the agenda, but innovations that can also demonstrate cost and efficiency improvements are likely to come out on top. Facilitating adoption requires carefully crafted value-based arguments to fit specific therapy areas and healthcare system needs.
References:
1Source: www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/europe-oncology-drugs-market
2Source: www.gov.uk/government/news/world-leading-ai-trial-to-tackle-breast-cancer-launched
3 Source: www.england.nhs.uk/cancer/nhs-cancer-vaccine-launch-pad/
How Bryter can help your business
Learn more about how Bryter helps healthcare and pharmaceutical brands by reading our article 'the ultimate guide to pharmaceutical market research and insights' or get in touch with a member of the Bryter team to discuss your research and insight requirements
