The proton therapy systems market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. North America accounted for the largest share of the global market in 2022. The growing adoption of the latest medical device technologies, the high prevalence of cancer, and product innovations by key players contribute to the expansion of the proton therapy systems market size in North America. For instance, According to the American Cancer Society estimates, the US recorded ~1.95 million new cancer cases and ~0.61 million mortalities related to the disease in 2023, exhibiting a significant increase from 1.60 million cancer cases and 0.60 million deaths reported in 2020. As per the Particle Therapy Co-Operative Group, at the end of 2023, the US had the highest number of proton therapy systems globally, with 46 proton therapy treatment facilities. Thus, the high prevalence of cancer and the high number of installed proton therapy systems favor the proton therapy systems market progress.
The high prevalence of cancer and demand for advanced treatments for cancers boost the demand for proton-based radiotherapy, fueling the proton therapy systems market growth. As per the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), lung, breast, and prostate cancers have the highest incidence rate in 2022. Lung, breast, and prostate cancer have an age-standardized rate of 23.6, 47.1, and 29.4 cases per 100,000 population. Similarly, According to the estimates by IARC, the number of total cancer cases is expected to increase from 19.98 million in 2022 to 23.71 million by 2030 and 30.97 million by 2045.
Furthermore, various cancer conditions, such as head and neck cancers (nasal, oral, eye, and larynx) and brain cancers have precise treatment requirements, which results in a high demand for advanced treatment approaches such as intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). In traditional radiation therapies, such as X-ray radiation therapy, the healthy tissue around the tumor also receives a dose of radiation, which leads to side effects and may cause secondary cancers. However, proton therapy aids in the effective treatment of complicated tumors in the brain, and head and neck region while minimizing the collateral damage to nearby tissues. Thus, the high prevalence of cancer and demand for advanced treatments boost the demand for proton-based radiotherapy, fueling the proton therapy systems market growth.
However, proton therapy systems are highly capital-intensive, limiting their adoption across the world. The setup and operation of these centers require significant capital investment. A single-room system may cost US$ 30–50 million. The multi-gantry proton systems may cost up to US$ 300 million and are usually installed only in large hospitals and university systems. Therefore, the high capital investment required for proton therapy systems are among the factors hindering the proton therapy systems market growth.
Proton Therapy Systems Market: Segmental Overview
By setup type, the market is bifurcated into single room and multi room. The multi room segment held a larger share of the proton therapy systems market in 2022. The market for the single room segment is anticipated to grow at a faster CAGR during the forecast period. The proton therapy systems market, by application, is categorized into brain and central nervous system cancer, head and neck cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and others. The brain and central nervous system cancer segment held the largest proton therapy systems market share in 2022. It is anticipated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.
The proton therapy systems market report, based on geography, is segmented into North America (US, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, Italy, UK, Russia, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (Australia, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Rest of Asia Pacific), the Middle East & Africa (South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Rest of Middle East & Africa), and South & Central America (Brazil, Argentina, and Rest of South & Central America).
Proton Therapy Systems Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments
Varian Medical Systems Inc, Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd, Hitachi Ltd, Ion Beam Applications SA, Mevion Medical Systems, Provision Healthcare LLC, ProTom International, Optivus Proton Therapy Inc, Advanced Oncotherapy plc, and B dot Medical Inc are among the prominent players profiled in the proton therapy systems market report. These companies capitalize on product innovation strategies to meet evolving customer demands, which allows them to maintain their brand name in the market.
A few of the recent developments in the global market, as per the company press releases, are mentioned below:
• In January 2024, OncoRay launched the prototype for a whole-body MRI-guided proton therapy system for the real-time tracking of moving tumors using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during proton therapy. The MRI aids in the visualization of tumors in enhanced contrast, which is its major advantage over conventional imaging modalities. Better contrast makes it possible to better delineate the tumor from surrounding healthy tissue and to define the volume to be irradiated with greater accuracy.
• In December 2023, HKSH Medical Group opened a new proton therapy center at the HKSH Eastern Medical Centre in A Kung Ngam, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong. The new center features an advanced proton therapy system and two state-of-the-art treatment rooms. The system includes two half-rotating proton therapy gantries, the latest beam transport system, and a synchrotron-based accelerator.
• In December 2023, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center started the US$100 million, 55,000 square foot proton therapy center, the first treatment facility in central Ohio offering this highly targeted form of radiation therapy for the treatment of complex tumors that cannot be removed through surgery.
• In October 2021, IBA (Ion Beam Applications SA) launched the world’s first online platform for proton therapy. The new interactive platform, Campus, was unveiled through webinars in October 2021.