At a first glance a treatment with proton therapy appears 2 – 3 times more expensive than a comparable conventional radiotherapy. The biggest contribution here is the capital costs of the remarkably higher investment.
Return of capital due to state or public financing, or beneficiation money investment which might requires payment of interest only will change the situation drastically. The cost relation will be then 1.3 times higher cost with proton therapy. (>Goitein, Jermann, Clinical Oncology 15, 2003<)
Leverages for further cost reduction are the scope of the system (e.g. > 4 rooms), optimized perfect workflows and a two shift operation 6 days per week. (>h. Suit, Acta Radiologica 42, 2003<).
If one compares proton therapy with therapies causing higher side effects like surgical intervention or conventional radiotherapy the costs to treat the side effects must be taken into account in addition to the pure therapy costs. These supportive treatments are mostly medicamentous or long term rehabilitation, which is remarkably costly in any case.
In the frame of such a comparative consideration of the total cost for a patient from the first diagnosis until his return to work proton therapy becomes even economically attractive.