July 22, 2024 – The National Association for Proton Therapy (NAPT), the nation’s leading organization dedicated to increasing patient access to one of the most advanced cancer treatments, today announced the results of its annual member survey. Based on data received from 39 proton centers across 23 states, the survey shows continued growth in the number of conditions treated by proton therapy as the number of proton centers has grown and new clinical evidence is published.
“The latest data from our annual member survey validates more than 10 years of findings that demonstrate wider acceptance of proton therapy for an increasing number of patients and conditions,” said NAPT Executive Director Jennifer Maggiore. “As a growing body of clinical evidence supports the use of proton therapy and the industry continues to mature, this innovative treatment will continue to bring hope to cancer patients across the country.”
The number of proton therapy patients reached 16,822 in 2023 – a modest increase of 727 patients over 2022. As a percentage of conditions, the use of proton therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer has decreased while treatment for head and neck, gastrointestinal tract, and breast cancers has grown. Re-irradiation, defined as the treatment of patients who have received a previous course of radiation, has also become more prevalent.
Data from 2023 is the latest available as part of a long-term effort to track industry trends by NAPT, whose findings were featured in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology-Physics (Red Journal). “Temporal Evolution and Diagnostic Diversification of Patients Receiving Proton Therapy in the United States: A Ten-Year Trend Analysis (2012-21) from the National Association for Proton Therapy,” published in January, largely debunks the misperception that proton therapy is used primarily as a treatment for prostate cancer. The study reported “a clear and pressing need for accurate data regarding the number of patients treated with protons for various diagnoses,” which is useful “to help evaluate accrual to these trials and design new trials, and to help guide health policy decisions, rather than to base those decisions on speculation or legacy and outdated data.”
NAPT’s 2023 survey revealed the following regarding the mix of conditions treated by proton therapy compared to 2022, and further validates several long-term trends identified in the Red Journal study:
