Yuan James Rao: In high income countries, LINAC should be replaced approximately 10 years, upper limit approximately 15.

Yuan James Rao, Director of Brachytherapy and Associate Professor at George Washington University in Washington DC, made the following post on Twitter:

“Average age of LINAC in the US reached 14 years in 2022. In high income countries, LINAC should be replaced approximately 10 years, upper limit approximately 15. The average US hospital can’t renew its LINACS on time. Many centers can’t afford a new linac of any kind. Payment cuts / hypofrac hurt radiation oncology.

Loss of ViewRay is tragic. Radiation Oncology is niche market, and with hypofrac and declining utilization, facing long term financial limits (at least in US). Many centers can’t even afford any new linac (of any kind). Lesson?: new tech needs new CPT / higher reimbursement to be viable.”

Source: Yuan James Rao/Twitter