Global Radiotherapy Market Outlook and Growth Opportunities 2026

Definition

Radiotherapy (Radiation Therapy) is a method of treating cancer. It is divided into External Beam Radiotherapy, also known as teleradiation therapy and Internal Beam Radiotherapy, also known as brachytherapy. The principle is to use high-energy ionizing radiation (such as X-rays, gamma rays, high-energy electrons or heavy particles) produced by Medical Electron Linear Accelerator or radioactive nuclei to control or destroy malignant cells. Radiation therapy can cure some cancers that are only present in specific parts of the body, and can also be used as adjuvant therapy to prevent the recurrence of tumors after surgery to remove the primary malignant tumor (for example, to treat early-stage breast cancer). Ionizing radiation can damage the DNA of cancer tissue, causing its cells to die. In order to leave normal tissues (such as skin or organs, through which radiation must pass to treat tumors) unaffected, the radiation beam will illuminate the cancerous tissue from several specific angles. Tumors produce a much greater absorbed dose than surrounding healthy tissue. In addition to the tumor itself, the radiation field may also include draining lymph nodes if they are clinically or radiologically associated with malignancy or are considered to be at risk for subclinical malignant spread. Either way, the cells are killed by destroying the genetic material (DNA) of malignant cells. Cancer cells whose DNA is damaged and cannot be repaired will stop dividing or die. When damaged cells die, they are broken down and eliminated by the body. Radiation therapy does not kill cancer cells immediately; the level of DNA damage that causes cancer cell death requires days or weeks of treatment. Radiotherapy equipment is an important treatment tool in current tumor treatment, including Medical Electron Linear Accelerator, Gamma Knife, Cyberknife, TomoTherapy, proton and heavy ion equipment, etc., among which the global The most commonly used one is the Medical Electron Linear Accelerator. Medical Electron Linear Accelerator is usually used clinically to define and plan the treatment target area based on CT images, and to give the target area a certain dose of uniform irradiation. In radiotherapy, target volume delineation, measurement prescription design, and radiotherapy plan design can all directly affect the effect of radiotherapy. However, because delineation and design work rely on technicians and radiotherapy doctors, there are many uncertainties. The positioning error is one of the important factors affecting the accuracy of radiotherapy. In addition, there are many factors that cause positioning and imaging differences during the entire radiotherapy process for patients, making it difficult for the entire radiotherapy effect to fully achieve the intended goal. Proton and heavy particle therapy are another modality. Proton therapy, also known as "proton knife", uses neutral uncharged particles (such as neutrons) or charged particles (such as protons) to enter the human body and release energy to kill tumor cells. Currently, protons and Carbon ions. The entire treatment process can provide powerful irradiation to tumor lesions while avoiding irradiation of normal tissues to maximize the curative effect. Proton radiotherapy is currently the most cutting-edge cancer treatment technology. In the world of cancer treatment, heavy ions are another word for carbon ions (C6+). It is said that the dose concentration of heavy ions is better than that of protons, and the killing effect on cancer cells is 2-3 times that of protons. This effect can reduce the number of fractions and shorten the treatment cycle. Heavy ion therapy is also expected to be effective in treating cancers that are resistant to conventional X-ray radiation therapy, such as sarcomas and adenocarcinomas, locally advanced cancers, and deep-seated cancers. Broadly speaking, a heavy ion beam includes any beam of particles heavier than electrons. In heavy ion radiation therapy in Japan, the term "heavy ion beam" refers to a beam of nuclei (heavy ions) of any atom heavier than helium (He) or with an atomic number greater than helium. In Japan, carbon ion beams have been used for heavy ion beam therapy for nearly 20 years. Therefore, "heavy ion beam" currently refers to "carbon ion beam".