Radiopharmaceutical therapy use has increased 2,000% among Medicare population
Radiopharmaceutical therapy utilization has increased 2,000% among the Medicare population, according to new research shared Wednesday.
There has been a rapid expansion in the deployment of these drugs, which contain radioactive isotopes used in nuclear medicine to treat diseases such as cancer. This is thanks to the emergence of new evidence, supporting FDA approval, and clinical deployment of several novel intravenous therapies.
Researchers recently aimed to chart the rising use of radiopharmaceuticals, with the current landscape “poorly understood.” They discovered a more than 20-fold uptick in IV administrations (CPT 79101) from 2013 to 2023, rising from 529 to 12,395 a decade later.
“We observed substantial growth in overall use across specialties, with measurable shifts in relative participation over time,” lead author Sean Maroongroge, MD, MBA, an assistant clinical professor of radiation oncology at the City of Hope comprehensive cancer center in Duarte, California, said in a statement. “These findings reflect the evolving multidisciplinary nature of radiopharmaceutical therapy and underscore the need for cross-disciplinary research, training, credentialing and clinical workflows as adoption continues to expand.”
Maroongroge and colleagues presented their findings Feb. 18 as part of the first Multidisciplinary Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Symposium, which took place in Palm Desert, California. The American Society for Radiation Oncology, or ASTRO, touted key presentations from the event in a news update published Tuesday.
For their study, Maroongroge and colleagues analyzed files describing Medicare Part B professional claims, which may undercount hospital outpatient global-billed services. They identified administrations of IV radiopharmaceutical therapy, also pinpointing the physician specialty involved.
Their research charted a 37% compound annual growth rate for IV RPT each year. As of 2023, diagnostic and interventional radiology accounted for the largest share of services at 45.2%. Nuclear medicine was next at 36.6%, followed by radiation oncology (15.3%) and medical oncology/hematology (2.5%). All major specialties demonstrated “substantial” absolute growth in IV RPT participation.
“These findings highlight the expanding modern multidisciplinary footprint of RPT delivery in the U.S., characterized by substantial absolute growth across specialties and shifting participation patterns,” the authors concluded. “This reinforces the importance of continued cross-disciplinary planning to address research, credentialing, regulatory, and workflow needs to advance the field of RPT moving forward.”
ASTRO noted that only two RPTs have been approved by the U.S. FDA in the past decade, though there are many more agents being tested in clinical trials. Studies presented at its symposium reflect the expanding pipeline of next-generation agents, addressing diseases including hematologic, gastrointestinal and other common cancers.
“As more agents reach clinics and patient demand grows, providers are also seeking expert guidance to build and sustain RPT services in their local communities,” the society noted. “This new ASTRO-sponsored symposium pairs science with operational insight, offering practical guidance for multidisciplinary teams delivering RPT in clinical settings.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.