Growing Cancer Incidence Prompting Advancements in Radiotherapy Procedures

 “Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths, or one in six deaths, in 2018.”, says the World Health Organization (WHO). This common yet deadly disease involves the growth of cells faster than the older ones die. The increasing mass of cells takes the form of tumors, which have the tendency to rapidly spread to other parts of the body (metastasis) and severely harm them. Among the various causes of cancer are alcohol and tobacco consumption, environmental pollution, certain pre-existing diseases, such as infections, and genetic predisposition.

P&S Intelligence credits the rising cancer incidence around the world while forecasting that the radiotherapy market will grow from $7,222.4 million in 2019 to $17,194.4 million in 2030, at an 8.4% CAGR between 2020 and 2030. Commonly called radiation treatment, radiotherapy involves the usage of high-energy radiation to shrink or destroy cancer cells. Apart from surgery, chemotherapy, and drugs, radiation is one of the most-popular choices of treatment among cancer patients.

Moreover, with advancements in radiotherapy, it is becoming more-effective and thus garnering stronger trust from patients and doctors alike. With time, several new, effective, and faster forms of radiation treatments have emerged, including brachytherapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), proton therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Due to the advent of such advanced radiotherapies, medical device manufacturers are modifying their radiation systems. For instance, Siemens AG and Varian Medical Systems Inc. have developed interfaces to integrate the latter’s Aria oncology system and Eclipse treatment planning platform with the former’s linear accelerators (LINAC) and imaging systems. 

Radiation therapy already has a wide consumer base in developed countries, while the usage of this treatment is also now increasing in emerging economies. As per a study, only 20% of the global population has access to around 95% of the radiotherapy equipment. Moreover, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are estimated to have 5,000 fewer pieces of equipment than required, with almost 30 countries not possessing even a single radiotherapy system! Further, by 2035, over 12,000 more systems will be required to cater to the growing cancer-ridden population in LMICs.

This vast disparity in the availability of radiation treatment is one of the many reasons the largest radiotherapy market presently is North America. Other reasons for this are the presence of numerous medical device companies, rising healthcare spending, and advanced healthcare infrastructure in the region. Similarly, to meet the increasing demand for radiation procedures, medical centers in Asia-Pacific (APAC) are expected to buy such systems on war footing. For instance, in India, 400 additional radiation systems will be needed by 2035 to cut the waiting time for patients.

Hence, with the growing cancer incidence and vast unmet need for radiation oncology treatments in LMICs, the demand for radiotherapy systems will continue to rise.