Market Overview

Radiotherapy equipment deployment has widespread in Japan, stably increasing the radiotherapy performances chiefly in regional cancer treatment cooperation base hospitals and university hospitals.
The fourth-term Basic Plan for Cancer Control Programs stipulates that it should consider the systems for facilitating the nation and the prefectures to provide standard treatment as well as high precision radiotherapy utilizing particle therapy, nuclear medicine, image-guided immediate adaptive techniques, which is likely for the radiotherapy market to thrive hereafter.
As the awareness of radiotherapy to treat cancer has been improved, high-precision radiotherapy techniques such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image guided radio therapy (IGRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), particle therapies including ion-beam and heavy ion beam therapies have been widely chosen. In addition, those medical institutions that conduct cotreatment with hyperthermic potentiation or radiosensitizers are increasing.  

Noteworthy Topics

In association with the research, the survey via our database and a mailed questionnaire to 188 radiotherapy-performing facilities nationwide regarding the status of radiotherapy treatment (number of patients, number of cases of the treatment, details of the treatment, etc.,) and the status of radiotherapy equipment (replacement, new or increased implementations, assessment, etc.)

The survey this time found out that, of the radiotherapy instruments (linear accelerators or LINAC) that had been the target of the last survey, 125 instruments were replaced for upgrading.
When confirmed the manufacturers of them before and after the replacement, 40.0% (50 units), the largest ratio, was done between the same manufacturers, followed by the replacement from “Siemens to VARIAN Medical Systems” at 26.4% (33 units), “Siemens to Accuray” at 9.6% (12 units), and “Siemens to Elekta” at 7.2% (9 units). Because Siemens does not currently sell radiotherapy equipment, many have been replaced to a highly appreciated VARIAN Medical Systems, but some to other manufacturers.

For the equipment currently in the market to that of other manufacturers, VARIAN Medical Systems to Accuray accounted for 6.4% or 8 units, and Elekta to VARIAN Medical Systems accounted for 4.0% or 5 units. While the radiotherapy equipment market is occupied by replacement with small cases of new implementation, the research this time has found that many replacements occurred between the same manufacturers, but there were some between different manufacturers.   

Research Outline