Proton Therapy Center Switzerland AG

Cost considerations about Proton Therapy

At a first glance a treatment with proton therapy appears 2 – 3 times more expensive than a comparable conventional radiotherapy. The key cost driver is the high cost of capital because capital expenditure for proton therapy systems is several factors higher than for conventional radiotherapy. This is why a proton therapy center requires a certain number of patients to break even.

On the positive side, proton therapy has a significantly lower overall cost of treatment. Proton therapy causes significantly less side effects and, consequently, the costs to treat side effects is only a fraction of that for other therapeutic approaches. Besides, patients treated with proton therapy can return to normal work life much faster which results in significantly lower socioeconomic costs.