title: Supply and Demand for Radiation Oncology in the United States: Updated Projections for 2015 to 2025.
abstract: Prior studies have forecasted demand for radiation therapy to grow 10 times faster than the supply between 2010 and 2020. We updated these projections for 2015 to 2025 to determine whether this imbalance persists and to assess the accuracy of prior projections.
  
  
  
  The demand for radiation therapy between 2015 and 2025 was estimated by combining current radiation utilization rates determined by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data with population projections provided by the US Census Bureau. The supply of radiation oncologists was forecast by using workforce demographics and full-time equivalent (FTE) status provided by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), current resident class sizes, and expected survival per life tables from the US Centers for Disease Control.
  
  
  
  Between 2015 and 2025, the annual total number of patients receiving radiation therapy during their initial treatment course is expected to increase by 19%, from 490,000 to 580,000. Assuming a graduating resident class size of 200, the number of FTE physicians is expected to increase by 27%, from 3903 to 4965. In comparison with prior projections, the new projected demand for radiation therapy in 2020 dropped by 24,000 cases (a 4% relative decline). This decrease is attributable to an overall reduction in the use of radiation to treat cancer, from 28% of all newly diagnosed cancers in the prior projections down to 26% for the new projections. By contrast, the new projected supply of radiation oncologists in 2020 increased by 275 FTEs in comparison with the prior projection for 2020 (a 7% relative increase), attributable to rising residency class sizes.
  
  
  
  The supply of radiation oncologists is expected to grow more quickly than the demand for radiation therapy from 2015 to 2025. Further research is needed to determine whether this is an appropriate correction or will result in excess capacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Hubert Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Bruce G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Haffty
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Associates, Lowell, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Benjamin P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Falit
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Buchholz
authors.affiliation: Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Lynn D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Electronic address: bsmith3@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D005544:Forecasting; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015233:Models, Statistical; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014600:Utilization Review; D000078329:Workforce