The global particle therapy market is expanding owing to the increasing prevalence and incidence of cancer disease across the globe. The global particle therapy market was valued at US$ 364.8 Mn in 2017 and is projected to reach a value of US$ 727.0 Mn by 2026, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 8.0% from 2018 to 2026. The global market is expanding at a relatively higher growth rate owing to increasing digitization of pain management practices, high incidences of cancer treatment, occurrence of brain tumors among the geriatric population, lung cancer among adult men & women, and rise in demand for surgery-free treatment procedure.
Particle therapy is a form of external beam radiotherapy that utilizes beams of energetic protons, neutrons, or positive ions for cancer treatment. The most common type of particle therapy used for cancer treatment is proton therapy. However, carbon therapy employs particles in a more massive way than protons and other neutrons. The technique is gaining scientific attention due to improved clinical studies for the treatment of several cancers such as prostate, head and neck, lung, and liver, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, locally recurrent rectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer, including locally advanced disease. Carbon-ions are heavier than protons, which provides higher relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and increases the accumulation of carbon ions near the tumor for deeper treatment procedure.
Particle therapy aids the patients suffering from cancer diseases and improves overall operational efficiency as well as patient care. High prevalence and incidence rates of lung cancer, pediatric cancer, brain and spine tumors, and bladder cancer in the global population has led to an increase in patient flow to specialty clinics and hospitals. These factors, collectively, are projected to drive the demand for global particle therapy in the near future. Furthermore, technological advancements, such as combined proton and carbon therapy integration facilities for treating cancer, are estimated to fuel the particle therapy market in the near future.
The global particle therapy market has been segmented based on therapy, services, application, end-user, and region. In terms of therapy, the global market has been categorized into proton therapy, carbon therapy, and other therapy. The proton therapy segment accounted for a key share of the global market, in terms of revenue, in 2017. The carbon therapy segment is estimated to expand at an exponential growth rate during the forecast period, and the segment is estimated to gain significant market share by the end of 2026. Carbon therapy offers several advantages over proton therapy and hence, carbon therapy is increasingly gaining popularity among physicians to treat different types of cancer.
 Pediatric cancer and BSCT segments dominated the global market and are likely to maintain their dominance by the end of 2026 with marginal increase in their market share. Increasing adoption of pain-free treatment procedures by the younger population, value added features provided by the particle therapy devices, and increasing stimulation of healthy cell growth, tissue regeneration, and angiogenesis led the segment to hold a prominent share of the global market. In terms of services, the particle therapy market has been split into cyclotrons, synchrotrons, and synchrocyclotrons. Based on end-user, the global market has been bifurcated into hospitals, specialty clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and others.
In terms of region, the global particle therapy market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominated the global market and is projected to lose market share by the end of 2026. The market in the North America is primarily driven by the rapidly increasing geriatric population with brain & spine tumor, high adoption of particle therapy for pain management during cancer treatment, and growing incidence of lung cancer among the young population in the U.S. Moreover, increasing cyclotron service practices has been observed in the U.S., which is projected to fuel the particle therapy market in the U.S. during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand at a rapid pace during the forecast period. In Asia Pacific, Japan dominated the particle therapy market, while the market in China is estimated to expand at an exponential CAGR during the forecast period.
Companies such as Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Hitachi, Ltd., IBA Worldwide, and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. accounted for a major share of the global particle therapy market in 2017. In April 2017, IBA Worldwide and Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation announced the signing of a global collaboration to expand access to proton therapy worldwide. Toshiba has become the distributor in Japan for Proteus ONE, and IBA has become the agent for Toshiba’s Carbon Therapy Solutions outside Japan. Other global players operating in the market include Advanced Oncotherapy PLC., Mevion Medical Systems, Inc., Provision Healthcare, LLC, Optivus Proton Therapy, Inc., Protom International, Inc., and Danfysik A/S. These companies are focusing on strategy acquisition and collaboration with parallel companies in order to improve and strengthen their geographic presence in the global market.
