Radiation therapy statistics in Korea in 2022 and 2023

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utilization of radiation therapy (RT) in Korea in 2022 and 2023.

We analyzed national claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service for 2022 and 2023. Patients across all International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision diagnostic codes who underwent RT were identified using RT-related procedure codes. The utilization profiles of intensity-modulated RT (IMRT), stereotactic RT, brachytherapy (BT), and proton therapy were evaluated. The RT utilization (RTU) rate was calculated using annual cancer incidence data from the Korea Central Cancer Registry.

The total number of patients who received RT reached 100,295 in 2022 and 104,100 in 2023, representing year-over-year increases of 2.5% and 3.8%, respectively. The RTU rate among newly diagnosed cancer patients was 31.8% in 2022 and 32.0% in 2023. Breast, lung, prostate, liver, and colorectal cancers were the five most frequently treated malignancies. IMRT utilization expanded markedly, reaching 64.9% of all cases in 2022 and 69.6% in 2023. Seoul accounted for approximately 45% of all national RT cases and 53.0% of BT cases, reflecting a significant regional concentration in the capital area.

RTU in Korea has continuously expanded, surpassing the 100,000-patient milestone for the first time. The overall RTU rate has stably remained above 30% since 2017. IMRT has become the dominant treatment modality, showing a continuous upward trajectory. However, the regional concentration of RT services in Seoul and the nationwide contraction of essential BT infrastructure present critical structural concerns that warrant targeted policy interventions.