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John W. Mitchell, Senior Correspondent | September 12, 2017
From the September 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Building a single-gantry or multiple-gantry treatment facility is also a key decision associated with meeting financial projections.
"Single rooms lower costs up-front," Bill Hansen, director of marketing for the Varian Particle Therapy Division, told HCB News. "But building multi-rooms [has] clear advantages as the cost per room goes down."
He said Varian looks at the cost per room per patient, especially in a situation where patient volume makes it viable to run two shifts. In general, he said that the trend appears to be a single room in small markets and multi-rooms in larger markets. And, he noted, the overseas market is different than the U.S. In China, for example, cancer rates are increasing, and multi-room proton facilities are more in demand.
Joseph Jachinowski, president, CEO and director at Mevion, told HCB News that he thinks the single room is more the way to go in a U.S market that is maturing.
"Multi-room economics are far too risky now," he said. "You give up nothing clinically by building a single room, and you don’t want to bet the house on a $200 million multi-room project. The ramp-up to pay for three rooms can be a pitfall compared to a single room. You can always add a second room later, if needed."
An important factor in determining the right size for a facility, according to Jachinowski, is making sure you have a thorough understanding of your anticipated patient population and account for potential variables.
This includes running scenarios, for example, where the volume is not as projected, or there are cuts in reimbursements.
All three manufacturer sources agreed that as proton therapy is proven through ongoing and additional clinical trials to offer better outcomes for patients, the stress around insurance coverage will dissipate and the pathway to access will become clearer.
"This is a powerful technology that should be available to patients who need it," said Beth Klein. "It's not going to replace radiation therapy, but there is clear evidence that conservatively 20 percent of cancer patients can benefit from it."
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