BRACHYTHERAPY AFTERLOADERS MARKET ANALYSIS

Brachytherapy is type of radiotherapy in which a closed radiation source is positioned directly into or next to area that requires treatment. It is used to cure cancer tissues at specific sites and is frequently used as an effective treatment for breast, cervical, skin, and prostate cancers. In a normal EBRT (external beam radiation therapy), a high energy x ray is generated by the source system is focused towards the tumor. In this type of radiation therapy, rays are guided from outside the body with the help of radiation system.

However, brachytherapy involves placing a radioactive material directly inside the tumor or next to it. One of the main characteristic of brachytherapy is that the treatment is conducted at a particular area around the radiation source, which reduces exposure of radiation on healthy tissues.

A treatment course of brachytherapy can be completed in less than other radiotherapy techniques, which minimizes the chances of surviving cancer cells to grow and divide in the long intervals between each radiotherapy session. Based on the technique, two types of brachytherapy afterloaders are available in the market: low dose rate (LDR) afterloader and high dose rate (HDR) afterloader.

Brachytherapy Afterloaders Market – Dynamics

Increasing prevalence of cancer among the global population is a major factor driving growth of the brachytherapy afterloaders market. For instance, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2018 report, cancer was the second-leading cause of death around the globe and was responsible for around 8.8 million death in 2015. Globally, around 1 out of 6 deaths is due to cancer. The same report showed that, most common causes of cancer death was lung cancer with around 1.69 million deaths followed by liver cancer with 788,000 deaths, colorectal 774,000 deaths, stomach 754,000 deaths, and breast cancer having 571,000 deaths.

Rising geriatric population around the globe is also another factor for increasing incidence of cancer, as aged population is most likely susceptible to cancer. This is another factor propelling growth of brachytherapy afterloaders market significantly. For instance, according to United Nation 2017 report, the geriatric population in 2017 is expected to increase over double by 2050 and to over triple by 2100. These figures are expected to rise from 962 million globally in 2017 to 2.1 billion in 2050 and 3.1 billion in 2100.

Moreover, increasing adoption of brachytherapy among the cancer therapy centers is likely to boost the brachytherapy afterloaders market significantly in the near future. For instance, in 2017, iCAD Inc. introduced Xoft electronic brachytherapy system at two of its California-based oncology centers – Sherman Oaks Radiation Therapy Center and Santa Clarita Radiation Therapy Center.

Brachytherapy Afterloaders Market – Regional Insights

Based on the region, the global brachytherapy afterloaders market is segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America holds the dominant position in the global brachytherapy afterloaders market, owing to increasing adoption of new innovative technology and rise in funding for research and development for cancer treatment. For instance, in 2013, Varian Medical Systems, Inc. awarded US$ 100,000, a second year renewal grant to The American Board of Radiology Foundation (ABRF), for the brachytherapy research work.

Asia Pacific is expected to witness significant growth in the brachytherapy afterloader market owing to rise in healthcare research and increasing geriatric population vulnerable to various cancer and related diseases. For instance, according to United Nations 2017 report, in Asia, 12% of the population is already aged 60 years and the proportion is projected to reach 24% in 2050.

Brachytherapy Afterloaders Market – Competitive Landscape

Key players operating in the brachytherapy afterloaders market includes Elekta, Eckert & Zieglar BEBIG, and Varian Medical Systems, Inc. Market players are engaged in adopting various strategies such as acquisitions, new product launches, acquisition, and partnerships to retain their position in the market. For instance, in April 2018, Proton Partners International Ltd. acquired Elekta MR-linac systems to provide cancer patients with the most advanced treatment across U.K.

Brachytherapy Afterloaders Market – Taxonomy

On the basis of technique, the global brachytherapy afterloaders market is segmented into:

• Low Dose Rate (LDR) Afterloaders
• High Dose Rate (HDR) Afterloaders

On the basis of application, the global brachytherapy afterloaders market is segmented into:

• Prostate Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• Others

On the basis of region, the global brachytherapy afterloaders market is segmented into:

• North America
• Latin America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Middle East
• Africa