Particle Therapy Market Assessment, By Type [Heavy Ion Therapy, Proton Therapy], By System [Single-Room Systems, Multi-Room Systems], By Product & Service [Products, Services], By Cancer Type [Prostate Cancer, Pediatric Cancer, Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer,

Particle Therapy Market Assessment, By Type [Heavy Ion Therapy, Proton Therapy], By System [Single-Room Systems, Multi-Room Systems], By Product & Service [Products, Services], By Cancer Type [Prostate Cancer, Pediatric Cancer, Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Brain and Spinal Cord Cancer, Others], By Application [Research Applications, Treatment Applications], By Region, Opportunities and Forecast, 2017-2031F

Global particle therapy market is projected to witness a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period 2024-2031, growing from USD 651.4 million in 2023 to USD 1223.67 million in 2031F.

The growing prevalence of cancer in various regions across the globe, rising investments towards the improvement of healthcare infrastructure, increasing research and development activities, and technological advancements are some of the major factors driving the market growth. The introduction of technologically advanced products and systems is another crucial factor supporting market growth.

For instance, in January 2024, OncoRay launched the world’s first research prototype for whole-body MRI-guided proton therapy system. The prototype is designed for MRI-tracking moving tumors during proton therapy in real time. With the help of MRI, the visualization of surrounding healthy tissue and moving tumors with soft-tissue contrast becomes easier. The MRI will also be able to detect all anatomical changes between treatment sessions. The prototype combines a whole-body MRI scanner with a horizontal proton therapy beamline. The geometry of the prototype enables innovative patient positioning approaches such as treatment in both upright and lying positions.

One of the major global particle therapy market trends includes growing preference for proton therapy for treatment of cancer. This increased preference can be attributed to the targeted nature of the particle therapy that allows it to cause less damage to the surrounding tissues.

The growing efforts by various leading market players towards delivering technologically advanced solutions are also bolstering the market expansion.

For instance, in 2023, Hitachi, Ltd. Delivered a proton therapy system to National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), marking their first proton therapy system to initiate treatment in Southeast Asia.

Rising Prevalence of Cancer Aids Market Expansion

The utilization of particle therapy for treating tumors present in the thoracic region, prostate, central nervous system, and head-and-neck is growing due to their increased prevalence. Particle therapy can also be effective for treating radio-resistant tumors and re-irradiation. The therapy is especially advantageous for radio-resistant tumors including chordomas and chondrosarcomas of the skull base owing to their location near the critical structures such as cranial nerves and brainstem. The biological and physical properties of particle therapy are effective in reducing the acute toxicities that are radiation largely induced. Particle therapy also effectively reduces integral dose.

Proton therapy is increasingly being used for treating patients with tumors near the brain and benign tumors as well as for treating patients who have undergone treatment but still have recurrent brain tumors. As per the National Brain Tumor Society, around one million individuals are living with a brain tumor in America. They also estimated that in 2023 approximately 94,390 individuals were expected to receive a primary brain tumor diagnosis.

Increasing Research and Development Activities Supports Global Particle Therapy Market Growth

The increased adoption of particle therapy for treating different cancer types is bolstering the investments in research and development activities. A wide range of trials have already established the benefits offered by particle therapy in select clinical situations. Further research activities are expected to enhance treatment planning, beam delivery, and image guidance. Various research institutions are also initiating proton therapy partnerships, for instance, in June 2023, PARTICLE (Particle Therapy Interuniversity Center Leuven) and IBA, one of the leading providers of proton therapy solutions for treating cancer initiated a research partnership for developing ConformalFLASH. For facilitating preclinical research on FLASH therapy in the clinical proton therapy system of PARTICLE, IBA will enable FLASH configuration. The researchers from UCLouvain, UZ Leuven, and KU Leuven will be performing preclinical experiments using IBA’s Proteus ONE to evaluate the FLASH effect on normal tissue toxicity.

North America Expected to Witness Significant Growth

The growth of the North America particle therapy market can be attributed to the easy availability of innovative medical technologies in the region and presence of a well-established healthcare infrastructure. The ongoing research activities related to particle therapy in various medical schools and research institutes and centers is further supporting the market expansion in North America. Due to the easy accessibility to coverage and health insurance, receiving novel treatments is easier. The presence of technologically advanced devices for diagnosing various diseases and disorders, growing prevalence of cancer, and introduction of advanced and innovative technologies by the leading manufacturers are also boosting the market growth. According to the estimates of the American Cancer Society, approximately 609,820 deaths related to cancer and 1,958,310 new cancer cases were estimated to occur in the U.S. in 2023. In addition, the opening of proton therapy centers in the region is also supporting the market expansion. In 2023, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and Nationwide Children’s Hospital opened a new proton therapy center. The highly targeted form of radiation therapy is offered in Central Ohio for treating tumors that cannot be removed via surgery.

The Dominance of Proton Therapy

The segment growth can be attributed to the high rate of adoption of proton therapy for treating several types of cancer including breast cancer, pediatric cancer, and brain cancer. Proton therapy is increasingly being used in various stages of treatment of breast cancer owing to high linear energy distribution and effective deep dose distribution of charged particles, leading to the formation of DNA lesions. The increasing research and development activities are further supporting the expansion of the segment.

For instance, a team of researchers from Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland in collaboration with IBA Dosimetry is testing if a software-based solution having the ability to recalculate the delivered dose from the treatment log files can offer a better solution. The research team also worked with Varian to extract the treatment log files from their ProBeam machine for proton therapy. These files were then converted into the standard DiCOM format that is used by the IBA Dosimetry’s myQA iON platform for patient-specific quality analysis.

Pediatric Cancer Anticipated to Boost Global Particle Therapy Market Demand

The increasing prevalence of pediatric cancer owing to various factors including the presence of an immature immune system and genetic predisposition is providing lucrative growth opportunities to the market growth. According to the National Cancer Institute, it was estimated that in 2023 approximately 15,190 children and adolescents aging from 0 to 19 will receive a diagnosis for cancer and approximately 1,590 will die from the same in the United States. About 8-10% of cancer cases in children are caused due to inherited pathogenic variant in cancer predisposition gene. Children that inherit the different variants associated with familial syndromes such as Noonan syndrome, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, Fanconi anemia, and Fraumeni syndrome also have a substantial risk of developing cancer in childhood.

As the protons can be controlled in a precise manner, proton therapy is preferred for treating pediatric tumors that are located near growing tissues in the eyes, mouth, ears, brain, and spinal cord.

Future Market Scenario (2024–2031F)

According to the global particle therapy market analysis, while the clinical and physical benefits of particle therapy are well recognized, further research and development activities are required to assess the effectiveness and safety of these therapies.

For instance, a team of researchers from Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, U.S. are conducting an interventional study to gather information on the effectiveness and safety of proton radiation therapy in subjects who are experiencing ventricular tachycardia despite undergoing a previous catheter ablation and treatment with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator for reducing the number of ventricular tachycardia episodes. The subjects of the study will be followed at one and two weeks and one, three-, six-, twelve- and twenty-four-month intervals. The study is expected to conclude in March 2025. The development of novel proton radiation therapy approaches is expected to be of substantial value in providing alternative therapies to catheter-based ablation and drug therapy.

Key Players Landscape and Outlook

The market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to rising research and development activities and collaborations between leading market players and research and care institutions.

For instance, Hitachi Ltd. is collaborating with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center on research for a randomized clinical trial to compare the side effects and outcomes of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) versus Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IMPT) for treating oropharyngeal cancer of the neck and head. The company’s proton beam therapy cancer treatment solutions require fewer hospital visits, have lower radiation exposure, and are less invasive.