Oncology

The Oncodetect test is tumor-informed, tracking up to 200 circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) variants. It delivers simple “detected” or “not detected” results alongside quantitative data to guide adjuvant therapy decisions, monitor treatment response, and detects up to 200 ctDNA variants identifying signs of colorectal cancer recurrence up to two years earlier than imaging.

The FDA's final LDT ruling was struck down in federal court last month. For now, diagnostic companies can commercialize under CLIA regulations or apply for FDA approval. McDermott and Tribun Health have shared insights on the risks, pros and cons of both regulatory routes.

Urologists at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and Abu Dhabi collaborated successfully to perform the first transcontinental robotic-assisted focal therapy for prostate cancer using EDAP’s Focal One HIFU robotic system. The procedure served as proof of concept for future teleprocedures. EDAP’s CEO Ryan Rhodes told Medtech Insight other hospitals are also showing interest in this type of collaboration.

Cambridge-based startup Mursla Bio's liquid biopsy test EvoLiver uses extracellular vesicles to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk cirrhotic patients. Medtech Insight sat down with with Mursla Bio CEO Pierre Arsène.

OneCell Diagnostics, the Mumbai-based startup backed with $16m in series A funding, is rebranding to 1Cell.Ai to represent the firm's focus on combining deep science with AI-powered capabilities.

Reimagine Care teamed up with MedStar Health to support cancer patients at home via an AI assistant and clinical support. Reimagine Care’s data suggests its platform can save cancer centers up to $1m annually per full-time oncologist panel and reduce ED visits by 30%.

The Cologuard Plus test has a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 94% for the detection of colorectal cancer; “unmatched accuracy,” according to Exact Sciences.

Early diagnosis can be “detrimental” to patients, Suzanne O'Sullivan, neurologist and author of “The Age of Diagnosis,” argued at the Wired Health conference on 18 March. "You save one life from screening 2,000 women for breast cancer, but you also treat 10 women unnecessarily," she said.

Medtech Insight sat down with Intuitive Surgical CEO Gary Guthart at the recent LSI USA conference to discuss the full launch of the new da Vinci 5 robotic system and planned digital enhancements. Guthart also offered his views on health care interoperability, AI regulation, outpatient surgeries, autonomous robots, and how the company is harnessing technology to shape the future of robotic surgery.

The urine-based GAGome test showed promise in the first clinical results from the international AURORAX-0087A, in the largest study conducted on clear cell renal cell carcinoma, the most common type of kidney cancer.

Barcelona-based accelerator S2 Xpeed is driving the rapid growth of medtech and hardware start-ups in Europe. Operating under a "sweat equity" model, the program helps early-stage companies move from prototype to manufacturing readiness in exchange for equity. This month, the accelerator will add a fourth cohort of 10 more start-ups, five of which are in the medtech space.

The US FDA's clearance of QP-Prostate CAD positions the company to support US health care providers and growing markets for fusion biopsy and focal therapy, said Quibim CEO and founder Angel Alberich-Bayarri.

Careology and Entia are partnering to “alleviate the burden of routine patient assessments” on people with cancer. The two early-stage London-based health tech startups already provide services to UK National Health Service (NHS) patients.

Implementing a reflex test alongside traditional prostate cancer screening is cost-effective for high-risk groups, claims Prostate Cancer Research. Oxford BioDynamics sheds light on UK market conditions influencing the adoption of its reflex test, EpiSwitch PSE.

PathAI, a Boston-based AI-pathology startup backed by $355m, partners with Brazil’s largest integrated healthcare network to support diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients using its AISight image management system.

Oxford BioDynamics' blood-based colorectal cancer diagnostic test EpiSwitch NST has shown high accuracy (81-85%) and positive predictive values (57-87%) for colorectal cancer and polyps. By reducing false positives, the test could minimize unnecessary follow-up procedures.

Any tariff headwinds should be counterbalanced by currency tailwinds, predicts German imaging and diagnostics company Siemens Healthineers.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft guidance limits tissue biopsy collection in clinical trials to primary endpoints and specific research use cases. However, Andrew Newland, CEO of circulating tumor cell (CTC) liquid biopsy firm Angle Plc, believes that the guidance could enhance the market for liquid biopsy makers.

Stock prices for liquid biopsy firm Angle Plc are up since 28 January after the release of new research. The study used Angle’s technology to detect clinically relevant mutations in circulating tumor cells that were not found in traditional circulating DNA, allowing for further insights into cancer progression, Andrew Newland, Angle CEO, told Medtech Insight.

During CES 2025, Medtech Insight accompanied Deloitte analysts Neal Batra and Andrew Davis to identify the biggest trends in digital health and solutions poised to transform the future of health care. Key trends included empowering consumers with actionable health data, the rising investment in specialized areas such as women’s health, and more companies pursuing regulatory clearance for health products.