PHILIPPINES RADIOTHERAPY MARKET ANALYSIS

Philippines radiotherapy market is expected to reach US$ 33 Mn by 2030, from US$ 22.4 Mn in 2023, at a CAGR of 5.7% during the forecast period.

Cancer is a genetic disease that is caused by changes to genes that control the way cells function, especially how they grow and divide. The body normally eliminates cells with damaged DNA before they turn cancerous. As one gets older, the body’s ability to eliminate damaged DNA reduces. This is part of the reason why there is a higher risk of cancer later in life. Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells. A radiation therapy regimen, or schedule, usually consists of a specific number of treatments given over a set period. Radiation therapy can treat many different types of cancer. It can also be used in combination with other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and/or surgery.

The growing prevalence of cancer in this country is anticipated to support the market development over the forecast period. For instance, the 2020 Globocan report stated that there were 153,751 new cancer cases in Philippines in 2020. Out of which, breast cancer accounted for 17.7% of the total cancer cases.

Analyst View Point:

The demand for radiotherapy is anticipated to increase over the analysis period in the Philippines owing to the increasing geriatric population. The radiotherapy market in Philippines is expected to grow at a steady pace over the coming years. The rise in cancer incidence rates driven by adoption of unhealthy lifestyles and growing elderly population will drive more demand for radiotherapy procedures. The government has initiated various programs to improve access to cancer care in rural areas of the country which will benefit market players. However, lack of reimbursement coverage for radiotherapy continues to restrain the market to some extent. Only a small percentage of Filipinos have health insurance and most end up paying large amounts out of pocket for treatments. This prevents many lower income patients from opting for expensive radiotherapy therapies. Player margins may also be impacted if the government decides to regulate treatment pricing.

Philippines Radiotherapy Market- Drivers

• Rising prevalence of cancer: The rising prevalence of cancer is the major factor driving growth of the Philippines radiotherapy Market. According to the Globocan 2020 report, 92,606 individuals succumbed to cancer in 2020, out of which 17,063 death occurred due to lung cancer, a staggering 18.4% of total cancer deaths. Additionally, the number of lung cancer cases reported in 2020 was also high, 13,406 a 19.9% of total cases reported in males.
• Increase in Healthcare expenditure: Increase in healthcare expenditure for cancer treatment has resulted in development of the radiotherapy treatment in Philippines. For instance, in March 2022, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Philippines leading source of policy research and advice, stated that spending for cancer reached US$ 840 million in 2022, a 140.75% increase from the US$ 350 million in 2019.
• Collaboration with international organizations: Collaboration with international health organizations has significantly contributed to advancing radiotherapy services in the Philippines. The government has partnered with organizations like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to modernize radiotherapy infrastructure and expand access to care. Through initiatives like the IAEA's program on cancer control in developing countries, several public hospitals have received grants and assistance to purchase new linear accelerators, MR-SIM, and brachytherapy equipment since 2020.

Philippines Radiotherapy Market- Opportunities

• Supportive government policies: Supportive government policies have played a vital role in shaping the development of the radiotherapy treatment centers in the country. For instance, in March 2022, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies stated that the Universal Health Care Act (UHC), or Republic Act 11223; and the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA), or Republic Act 11215 offer equal and reasonable cancer care delivery and finance. The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is required by UHC law to offer universal health insurance to Filipinos. It also requires PhilHealth to pool funds and place them in a unified fund known as the National Health Insurance Fund.
• Training and Education Programs: Initiatives to develop and expand training and education programs for radiation oncologists, medical physicists, and radiation therapists present opportunities to enhance the workforce and provide high-quality care. With a population of over 100 million people, there is immense potential for development in the health sector. Promoting training in modern radiotherapy techniques through university programs and certifications can help boost the number of qualified specialists over time. It is also important to conduct regular workshops for technologists and nurses on safe radiotherapy practices. Training centers sponsored through public-private partnerships could travel to different regions and train local hospital staff, thus creating opportunities for market players over the forecast period.

Philippines Radiotherapy Market- Trends

• Integration of artificial intelligence: The growing integration of artificial intelligence applications is having a profound impact on the radiotherapy market in the Philippines. By using advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques, AI systems are helping to optimize radiotherapy treatment planning and delivery. This allows doctors and medical physicists to more accurately target radiation doses to tumors while minimizing exposure of surrounding healthy tissues. AI is improving outcomes for patients by enabling more personalized, tailored treatment plans based on individual patients' scans, medical histories, and other key factors.
• Advanced Radiation Therapy Techniques: The use of advanced radiation therapy techniques is having a strong influence on the radiotherapy market in the Philippines. Some of the newer technologies, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), and stereotactic radiosurgery are allowing doctors to better target tumors and protect healthy tissues. According to a report published by Elsevier on August 15, 2023, in 2022, there were 61 megavoltage (MV) units distributed in 51 radiation therapy (RT) facilities around the country (56 linear accelerators, Co-60 teletherapy units, and 1 gamma knife radiosurgery unit). Since 2015, when there were only 22 RT facilities, the number has more than doubled. Thirty-seven facilities (73%) are IMRT-capable, but only 12 (24%) and 9 (18%) centers conduct stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), respectively.

Philippines Radiotherapy Market- Restraints

• Limited oncology training opportunities: According to an article published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information in November 2022, for the entire country, there are only 10 medical oncology, nine general surgery oncology, nine radiation oncology, two gynecologic oncology, and two hospice and palliative medicine residency programs. Training slots are also limited per program. Each year, only about five new fellows are accepted into the two gynecologic oncology specialist programs. Each year, one to two residents are accepted into the nine radiation oncology residency training programs. Thus, a limited number of training spots is anticipated to hamper market development over the forecast period.
• Low penetration of health insurance coverage: Limited health insurance coverage in the Philippines poses a major challenge for the growth of the Philippines radiotherapy market. According to 2022 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey published in June 2023, Health insurance options in the country include PhilHealth, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the Social Security System (SSS), and private insurance. In total, 70% of women aged 15 to 49 have some type of PhilHealth coverage, with 29% being paying members, 13% being nonpaying members, 17% being dependents of a paying member, and 12% being dependents of a nonpaying member. Other than PhilHealth, 44% of women have health insurance; 39% have insurance through the Social Security System, and 4% have private health insurance. Additionally, 27 % of women do not have any health insurance coverage thus, low penetration of health insurance coverage in the country is expected to hinder the market development throughout the analysis period.
• Shortage of Qualified Personnel: The shortage of qualified personnel is significantly restraining the growth of the Philippines radiotherapy market. There is a lack of an adequate number of trained medical physicists, radiation oncologists, radiographers, and nurses who are specialized in radiotherapy planning and treatment delivery. This shortage of skilled manpower is due to the low number of training seats available in medical physics and radiation oncology programs in the country. 

Philippines Radiotherapy Market Recent Developments

• In February 2022, The Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital (DDVMH), a partner hospital of Mount Grace Hospitals, Inc., brought new technology in treating cancer patients using the VitalBeam radiotherapy system from Varian Medical Systems (a Siemens Healthineers company), bringing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) capabilities to Pangasinan and the rest of Northern and Central Luzon, Philippines.
• In February 2022, Elekta, a radiation oncology company, announced the opening of an office in Manila, Philippines. Elekta's first office in the country will provide service, education, and training for its radiation therapy products to both new and existing customers.

Figure 1. Philippines Radiotherapy Market Share (%), By End User, 2023

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Top companies in Philippines Radiotherapy Market:

• Elekta AB
• Accuray Incorporated
• Varian Medical Systems Inc.
• RaySearch Laboratories AB
• Mevion Medical Systems Inc.
• Isoray Inc.
• Nordion Inc.
• Becton, Dickinson and Company
• Ion Beam Applications SA
• Hitachi Ltd.
• GE HealthCare
• RefleXion Medical
• Canon Medical Systems Corporation
• ALCEN (PMB)
• Siemens Healthineers

Definition: Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, is a popular cancer treatment that employs radiation (typically high-powered X-rays) to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy can be used alone or in conjunction with other therapies, such as surgery or chemotherapy. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) and internal radiation therapy are the two main forms of radiation therapy. Both types function by destroying the DNA of cancer cells.