Esophageal Cancer Market

• Esophageal malignancies are often discovered as a result of a person’s indications or symptoms. Examinations, testing, and a biopsy (a sample of esophageal cells) will be required to confirm the diagnosis if esophageal cancer is suspected. If cancer is discovered, more tests will be performed to establish the stage of the malignancy. The gold standard for identifying esophageal cancer is Gastroscopy. 
• Histologically, there are two forms of primary esophageal cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma; small cell carcinoma is an uncommon type of Esophageal Cancer. 
• The 7MM accounted for approximately 77,000 diagnosed incident cases of esophageal cancer in 2023. The highest number of diagnosed incident cases of esophageal cancer were observed in Japan and the second highest number of diagnosed incident cases of esophageal cancer were observed in the US, which was followed by the UK.
• In 2023, nearly 80% of esophageal cancer cases were contributed by males in the United States.
• The emerging pipeline for esophageal cancer patients consists of drugs in different lines of therapies, adjuvant, and neoadjuvant settings. It is estimated that potential drugs that can significantly change the market during the forecast period include zanidatamab, bemarituzumab and others. 
• In 2023, the market size of esophageal cancer in the 7MM was approximately 1,000 USD million and the United States held the largest market share (40%)
• Recently, in March 2024, the US FDA approved TEVIMBRA (tislelizumab) as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior systemic chemotherapy that did not include a PD-(L)1 inhibitor. 
• Esophageal cancer, a relatively uncommon cancer, has very limited information and guidance available, with few opportunities for people to share experiences. This ends up leading to a lack of awareness about the disease. Its symptoms are also often mild until the cancer advances, and symptoms can be easily confused with other illnesses and digestive problems.

DelveInsight’s “Esophageal Cancer Market Insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast 2034” report delivers an in-depth understanding of historical and forecasted epidemiology as well as Esophageal Cancer therapeutics market trends in the United States, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan.

The Esophageal Cancer market report provides current treatment practices, emerging drugs, market share of individual therapies, and current and forecasted 7MM esophageal cancer market size from 2020 to 2034. The report also covers current esophageal cancer treatment practices/algorithms and unmet medical needs to curate the best opportunities and assess the market’s potential.

The table given below further depicts the key segments provided in the report:

Esophageal Cancer Treatment Market

Esophageal Cancer Overview

Esophageal cancer develops when cancer cells form in the esophagus, a tube-like tissue that connects the throat and stomach. The esophagus transports food from the mouth to the stomach. The cancer begins in the esophagus’s inner layer and can spread to other layers of the esophagus and other organs of the body (metastasis).

Typically, symptoms of esophageal cancer do not appear until the tumor has grown large enough to impede eating, swallowing, or digesting food. The most common symptom of esophageal cancer is difficulty swallowing, particularly a sensation that food is lodged in the throat; in some individuals, choking on food occurs. These symptoms develop with time, with greater discomfort while swallowing as the esophagus narrows due to cancer growth. 

Esophageal Cancer Market Diagnosis

Esophageal malignancies are often discovered by indications or symptoms. Exams, testing, and a biopsy (a sample of esophageal cells) will be required to confirm the diagnosis; if cancer is identified, more tests will help establish the extent (stage). When diagnosed late, esophageal cancer has a terrible prognosis; however, if diagnosed early, curative therapy is feasible. Before symptoms cause individuals to seek medical assistance, the condition slowly advances. Effective pre-symptomatic screening procedures may enhance disease outcomes. Recent research has shed light on the early detection of esophageal cancer using blood testing, sophisticated endoscopic imaging, and artificial intelligence.

Further details related to country-based variations are provided in the report…

Esophageal Cancer Treatment Market

Everyone who has esophageal cancer receives some form of therapy. Several factors, including personal preferences, cancer stage, and overall health, determine the appropriate course of therapy for each patient. Many medical professionals regularly collaborate in cancer care to construct a patient’s comprehensive treatment plan, including various treatments. 

Esophagectomy is the principal treatment for early-stage esophageal cancer, albeit its precise significance in superficial (T1A) cancers is still unclear, given the introduction of endoscopic mucosal therapy. A multimodal strategy for treating locally advanced cancers, comprising neoadjuvant chemotherapy or combination chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by surgery, is strongly recommended.

The cornerstone of contemporary esophageal cancer management is preoperative assessment. Preoperative staging accuracy is critical since the tumor board’s decisions on the use of multimodal therapy will be dependent on the precision and specifics of the clinical staging evaluation. Upper endoscopy, high-resolution contrast CT scan, FDG-PET scan, and EUS are all part of the standardized evaluation of a patient undergoing curative treatment for early-stage or advanced esophageal cancer.

Doctors typically recommend combining radiation treatment, chemotherapy, and surgery for a tumor that has not spread beyond the esophagus and lymph nodes. Locally advanced esophageal cancer is usually treated with radiation treatment, chemotherapy, and surgery. Radiation treatment and chemotherapy are often combined in “chemoradiotherapy.” Radiation treatment, chemotherapy, and other drug-based therapies are commonly used to treat metastatic esophageal cancer.

Esophageal Cancer Epidemiology

As the market is derived using a patient-based model, the esophageal cancer epidemiology chapter in the report provides historical as well as forecasted epidemiology segmented by Total Diagnosed Incident Cases of Esophageal Cancer, Age-specific Cases of Esophageal Cancer, Histology-specific Cases of Esophageal Cancer, Gender-specific Cases of Esophageal Cancer, Mutation-specific Cases of Esophageal Cancer, Stage-specific Cases of Esophageal Cancer and Line wise treated Cases of Esophageal Cancer in the 7MM covering the United States, EU4 countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan from 2020 to 2034. 

• Among the seven major markets, Japan, accounted for the highest number of total diagnosed incident cases (~26,000), followed by the United States, in the 2023. 
• In 2023, as per the age-specific cases, the 65 and above segment accounted for the highest number of cases of esophageal cancer. In contrast, the <45 age group accounted for the least number of cases in the United States.
• In 2023, males represented 80% of esophageal cancer cases in the United States, while females accounted for 20%.
• As per the Histology-specific incident cases of esophageal cancer, non-squamous esophageal cancer cases accounted for ~12,500 cases, whereas ~7,300 cases of squamous esophageal cancer, were found in 2023, in the United States. 
• Among the EU4 and the UK, the UK accounted for the highest number of incident diagnosed cases of esophageal cancer. 
• TP53 was the most common mutation found in approximately 80% of the total diagnosed incident cases, in the seven major markets, in 2023. 

Esophageal Cancer Recent Developments

• In Jan 2025, RNT Health Insights, a Chandigarh-based health-tech startup, received its second US FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its Esophageal Cancer detection tool. The AI-assisted tool aids gastroenterologists in detecting early and advanced esophageal cancers during white-light upper GI endoscopy procedures.

Esophageal Cancer Drug Chapters

The drug chapter segment of the esophageal cancer report encloses a detailed analysis of esophageal cancer marketed drugs and late-stage (Phase III and Phase II) pipeline drugs. It also helps understand the esophageal cancer clinical trial details, expressive pharmacological action, agreements and collaborations, approval and patent details, advantages and disadvantages of each included drug, and the latest news and press releases.

Esophageal Cancer Marketed Drugs

CYRAMZA (ramucirumab): Eli Lilly and Company

CYRAMZA, as a single agent or in combination with paclitaxel, is indicated for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic, gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma with disease progression on or after prior fluoropyrimidine- or platinum-containing chemotherapy. The recommended dosage of CYRAMZA as a single agent or combined with weekly paclitaxel is 8 mg/kg every 2 weeks, administered by IV infusion over 60 min. Ramucirumab is a VEGFR2 antagonist that binds VEGFR2 explicitly and blocks the binding of VEGFR ligands, VEGF-A, VEGF-C, and VEGF-D. As a result, ramucirumab inhibits ligand-stimulated activation of VEGFR2, thereby inhibiting ligand-induced proliferation and migration of human endothelial cells.

VITRAKVI (larotrectinib): Bayer

VITRAKVI (larotrectinib) is an oral TRK inhibitor for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with solid tumors with an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation that is either metastatic or where surgical resection will likely result in severe morbidity and have no satisfactory alternative treatments or have progressed following treatment. It is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with solid tumors that have a neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have no satisfactory alternative treatments or that have progressed following treatment.

Note: Detailed current therapies assessment will be provided in the full report of esophageal cancer…

Esophageal Cancer Emerging Drugs

Zanidatamab: Zymeworks/Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Zanidatamab is given with chemotherapy plus or minus Tislelizumab as a combination therapy in HER2-Expressing Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers, including Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma (GEA). Zanidatamab is given along with oxaliplatin (CAPOX) or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (FP) with or without tislelizumab. This emerging asset has a novel mechanism of action. It uses biparatropic binding as it targets two HER2 epitopes. The drug has also received fast-track designation in combination with SoC chemotherapy for first-line Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma. As far as safety is concerned, no severe treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) were observed. The most common Grade ≥3 TRAE was diarrhea which was manageable in the outpatient setting. Currently, it is under Phase III developmental stage for the treatment of esophageal cancers.

Bemarituzumab: Amgen

Bemarituzumab is a monoclonal antibody that inhibits fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b (FGFR2b). It is being investigated for the treatment of advanced Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction (GEJ) Cancers. In April 2021, Amgen announced that the US FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation for bemarituzumab. Currently, it is under Phase III clinical development. Bemarituzumab is also in Phase I and Phase II development for the treatment of advanced Gastric and Gastroesophageal cancers in combination with other therapies.

Note: Detailed emerging therapies assessment will be provided in the final report…

Esophageal Cancer Drug Class Insights

The esophageal cancer market therapies used for chemotherapy include, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy uses medications to eradicate cancer cells, often by preventing cancer cells from growing, dividing, and proliferating. Targeted therapy for esophageal cancer includes HER2-targeted therapy and anti-angiogenesis therapy.

A chemotherapy regimen, or schedule, typically consists of a predetermined number of cycles administered over a predetermined period. A patient may be administered one medicine at a time or a mixture of drugs simultaneously. As previously stated, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are frequently used concurrently to treat esophageal cancer, a procedure known as chemoradiotherapy. Immunotherapy uses the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer by improving your immune system’s ability to attack cancer cells.

Immunotherapy drugs are approved to treat adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and the gastroesophageal junction. This cancer grows where the stomach and esophagus meet. Pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) and nivolumab (OPDIVO) are both checkpoint inhibitors that target the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway.

As few potential therapies are being investigated to manage esophageal cancer, predicting that the treatment space will experience significant reconstitution during 2024–2034 is safe. 

Esophageal Cancer Market

The key players that can significantly change the market during the forecast period include zanidatamab, sintilimab, tislelizumab. All the aforementioned drugs are given in combination with chemotherapies. These drugs are in the late stages of clinical development, and other players are evaluating their potential candidates in different stages of clinical development. 

• Among the seven major markets, the United States comprised the largest market share, accounting for ~40% of the total Esophageal Cancer Market
• Among the EU4 and the UK, the UK captured the largest market share, accounting for ~36% of the total Esophageal Cancer Market, followed by Germany. 
• As per the Delveinsight’s analysis, among the upcoming emerging therapies in the first line, zanidatamab with chemotherapy combination is expected to capture the largest market in the United States, during the forecast period (2024-2034).
• In 2023, first-line therapies market (Fluoropyrimidine + Platinum + Herceptin) captured 30% of the market share, while in the second-line market, the same combination therapy held approximately 25% share in the United States.

Esophageal Cancer Drugs Uptake

This section focuses on the uptake rate of potential drugs expected to be launched in the market during 2020–2034. For example, for Zanidatamab + CAPOX + Fluoropyrimidine ± Tislelizumab, which is expected to be launched in the US by 2025, the drug uptake is expected to be medium, with a probability-adjusted peak patient share of ~5% in the US, expected to peak at 6 years from the year of launch.

Further detailed analysis of emerging therapies drug uptake in the report…

Esophageal Cancer Pipeline Development Activities

The report provides insights into different Esophageal Cancer clinical trials within Phase III, Phase II, and Phase I stage. It also analyzes key players involved in developing targeted therapeutics. 

Pipeline development activities

The report covers information on collaborations, acquisitions and mergers, licensing, and patent details for esophageal cancer emerging therapies. 

KOL Views

To stay abreast of the latest trends in the market, we conduct primary research by seeking the opinions of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who work in the relevant field. This helps us fill any gaps in data and validate our secondary research.

We have reached out to industry experts to gather insights on various aspects of esophageal cancer, including the evolving treatment landscape, patients’ reliance on conventional therapies, their acceptance of therapy switching, drug uptake, and challenges related to accessibility. The experts we contacted included medical/scientific writers, professors, and researchers from prestigious universities in the US, Europe, the UK, and Japan.

Our team of analysts at Delveinsight connected with more than 15+ KOLs across the 7MM. We contacted institutions such as the Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Ourense, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, University Of Caen Normandie Hospital Center, etc., among others. By obtaining the opinions of these experts, we gained a better understanding of the current and emerging treatment patterns in the esophageal cancer market, which will assist our clients in analyzing the overall epidemiology and market scenario. 

The opinion of experts from various regions has been provided below:

Esophageal Cancer Qualitative Analysis

We perform Qualitative and Market Intelligence analysis using various approaches, such as SWOT analysis and Conjoint Analysis. In the SWOT analysis, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in terms of disease diagnosis, patient awareness, patient burden, competitive landscape, cost-effectiveness, and geographical accessibility of therapies are provided. These pointers are based on the Analyst’s discretion and assessment of the patient burden, cost analysis, and existing and evolving treatment landscape.

Conjoint Analysis analyzes multiple approved and emerging therapies based on relevant attributes such as safety, efficacy, frequency of administration, designation, route of administration, and order of entry. Scoring is given based on these parameters to analyze the effectiveness of therapy.

In efficacy, the trial’s primary and secondary outcome measures are evaluated; for instance, in trials for esophageal cancer, the most important primary endpoints were PFS, OS, and ORR. Based on these, the overall efficacy is evaluated.

Further, the therapies’ safety is evaluated wherein the acceptability, tolerability, and adverse events are majorly observed, and it sets a clear understanding of the side effects posed by the drug in the trials. In addition, the scoring is also based on the route of administration, order of entry and designation, probability of success, and the addressable patient pool for each therapy. According to these parameters, the final weightage score and the ranking of the emerging therapies are decided. 

Esophageal Cancer Market Access and Reimbursement

Because newly authorized drugs are often expensive, some patients escape receiving proper treatment or use off-label, less expensive prescriptions. Reimbursement plays a critical role in how innovative treatments can enter the market. The cost of the medicine, compared to the benefit it provides to patients who are being treated, sometimes determines whether or not it will be reimbursed. Regulatory status, target population size, the setting of treatment, unmet needs, the number of incremental benefit claims, and prices can all affect market access and reimbursement possibilities.

The report further provides detailed insights on the country-wise accessibility and reimbursement scenarios, cost-effectiveness scenario of approved therapies, programs making accessibility easier and out-of-pocket costs more affordable, insights on patients insured under federal or state government prescription drug programs, etc.

Scope of Esophageal Cancer Market Report

• The report covers a segment of key events, an executive summary, and a descriptive overview of esophageal cancer, explaining the definition of esophageal cancer, types and risk factors involved in esophageal cancer, pathophysiology, and the treatment of esophageal cancer.
• Comprehensive insights into the epidemiology segments and forecasts, the future growth potential of diagnosis rate, disease progression, and treatment guidelines have been provided.
• Additionally, an all-inclusive account of the current and emerging therapies and the elaborative profiles of late-stage and prominent therapies will impact the current treatment landscape.
• A detailed review of the esophageal cancer market, historical and forecasted market size, market share by therapies, detailed assumptions, and rationale behind our approach is included in the report, covering the 7MM drug outreach.
• The report provides an edge while developing business strategies, by understanding trends, through SWOT analysis and expert insights/KOL views, patient journey, and treatment preferences that help shape and drive the 7MM esophageal cancer market.

Esophageal Cancer Report Insights

• Esophageal Cancer Patient Population
• Esophageal Cancer Therapeutic Approaches
• Esophageal Cancer Pipeline Analysis
• Esophageal Cancer Market Size and Trends
• Existing and Future Market Opportunity 

Esophageal Cancer Report Key Strengths

• Eleven-year Forecast
• The 7MM Coverage 
• Esophageal Cancer Epidemiology Segmentation
• Key Cross Competition 
• Conjoint Analysis
• Esophageal Cancer Drugs Uptake
• Key Esophageal Cancer Market Forecast Assumptions

Esophageal Cancer Report Assessment

• Current Esophageal Cancer Treatment Practices
• Esophageal Cancer Unmet Needs
• Esophageal Cancer Pipeline Product Profiles
• Esophageal Cancer Market Attractiveness
• Qualitative Analysis (SWOT)
• Esophageal Cancer Market Drivers
• Esophageal Cancer Market Barriers

Esophageal Cancer Market Key Questions

Esophageal Cancer Market Insights

• What was the esophageal cancer total market size, the market size by therapies, market share (%) distribution in 2020, and what would it look like by 2034? What are the contributing factors for this growth?
• What kind of uptake the new therapies approved will witness in esophageal cancer patients in the coming years? 
• Which therapy is going to be the largest contributor by 2034?
• What are the pricing variations among different geographies for approved therapies?
• How would the market drivers, barriers, and future opportunities affect the market dynamics and subsequent analysis of the associated trends?

Esophageal Cancer Epidemiology Insights

• What are the disease risk, burdens, and unmet needs of esophageal cancer? What will be the growth opportunities across the 7MM with respect to the patient population pertaining to esophageal cancer?
• What is the historical and forecasted esophageal cancer patient pool in the United States, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan?
• What is the diagnostic pattern of esophageal cancer?
• Which clinical factors will affect esophageal cancer?
• Which factors will affect the increase in the diagnosis of esophageal cancer?

Current Esophageal Cancer Treatment Scenario, Marketed Drugs, and Emerging Therapies

• What are the current options for the treatment of esophageal cancer? What are the current guidelines for treating esophageal cancer in the US, Europe, the UK, and Japan?
• How many companies are developing therapies for the treatment of esophageal cancer?
• How many emerging therapies are in the mid-stage and late stage of development for treating esophageal cancer?
• What are the recent novel therapies, targets, mechanisms of action, and technologies developed to overcome the limitation of existing therapies? 
• What key designations have been granted for the emerging therapies for esophageal cancer?
• What is the cost burden of approved therapies on the patient?
• Patient acceptability in terms of preferred treatment options as per real-world scenarios?
• What are the country-specific accessibility issues of expensive, recently approved therapies? 
• What is the 7MM historical and forecasted market of esophageal cancer?

Reasons to buy Esophageal Cancer Treatment Market Forecast Report

• The report will help develop business strategies by understanding the latest trends and changing treatment dynamics driving the esophageal cancer market.
• Insights on patient burden/disease incidence, evolution in diagnosis, and factors contributing to the change in the epidemiology of the disease during the forecast years.
• Understand the existing market opportunity in varying geographies and the growth potential over the coming years.
• Distribution of historical and current patient share based on real-world prescription data along with reported sales of approved products in the US, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan.
• Identifying strong upcoming players in the market will help devise strategies to help get ahead of competitors.
• Detailed analysis of emerging therapies to provide visibility around leading classes.
• Highlights of Access and Reimbursement policies of approved therapies, barriers to accessibility of expensive therapies, and patient assistance programs.
• To understand Key Opinion Leaders’ perspectives around the accessibility, acceptability, and compliance-related challenges of existing treatment to overcome barriers in the future.
• Detailed insights on the unmet need of the existing market so that the upcoming players can strengthen their development and launch strategy.