Implications of Radiotherapy Utilization in Korea from 2010 to 2019

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Assessing radiotherapy (RT) utilization trends by modality in South Korea.
• Understanding the implications of contemporary RT patterns for cancer care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the changing landscape of radiotherapy utilization in South Korea between 2010 and 2019.
• To identify regional disparities in the adoption of advanced RT modalities.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of National Health Insurance Service claims and reimbursement records (2010-2019).
• Classification of institutions into capital (Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi-do) and non-capital areas.

Main Results:

• Overall RT utilization rose from 24.5% (2010) to 36.1% (2019), with an annual increase estimate (AIE) of 4.5%.
• Intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) showed an abrupt AIE of 33.5%, while three-dimensional conformal RT (3DCRT) declined (AIE -7.1%).
• In 2019, IMRT was the most common modality (44.5%), followed by 3DCRT (37.2%) and stereotactic RT (SRT) (13.5%). Advanced RT utilization increased nationwide, with slightly higher growth in capital areas.

Conclusions:

• Significant increase in overall RT and advanced RT modality utilization from 2010-2019.
• Identified disparities in the annual increase estimate (AIE) of advanced RT between capital and non-capital regions.
• Emphasized the need to ensure equitable access to advanced radiotherapy for all cancer patients in South Korea.