Drivers for radiotherapy adoption
More people get cancer…
The world’s population is increasing and aging. With the 65+ cohort expected to increase by almost 80 percent by 2040 1), cancer incidence will increase. The World Health Organization estimates new cancer cases will grow from
an estimated 18 million cases in 2020 to 28 million new cases in 2040 2).
…and live with it longer…
As survival rates have improved over time, more people are living with cancer as a chronic condition. This increases the risk of oligometastatic disease. As a non-invasive treatment option, radiotherapy plays an important part in treating oligometastases, adding both years to life and life to the years 3).
…but many still lack access to radiotherapy
There are large structural differences in cancer care and the availability of radiotherapy between countries and regions. While 50–60 percent of all cancer patients need radiotherapy treatment, 40–60 percent of them lack access. Investments in radiotherapy capacity in low- and middle-income countries would save lives and lead to substantial economic benefits 4).
1) Projections from the UN Population Division, https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/
2) GLOBOCAN, data visualization available at CANCER TOMORROW: https://gco.iarc.fr/tomorrow/en/dataviz/isotype?types=0&single_unit=500000&cancers=40 (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer)
3) Palma et al, 2020, Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for the Comprehensive Treatment of Oligometastatic Cancers, available
4) Atun et al, Expanding global access to radiotherapy, The Lancet Oncol 2015 Sep; 16(10): 1153 86 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26419354/