France Radiotherapy Market Overview, 2031

Key Insights

• The French radiotherapy market operates within a well-developed universal healthcare system, with cancer representing a leading cause of mortality and radiotherapy playing a central role in curative and palliative treatment. The Institut national du cancer reports that radiotherapy activity increased by 8% in patient volume between 2021 and 2024, reaching 231,000 patients treated annually.
• External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT) constitutes the largest therapy segment, reflecting the widespread installed base of 640 treatment machines (excluding brachytherapy) across French radiotherapy centres in 2024 a 5% increase since 2021. IMRT has become nearly universal, with 99% of centres utilizing the technique in 2024.
• Radiotherapy systems and equipment represent the largest offering segment, with the market characterized by centralised public procurement through UniHA framework agreements. Elekta, Varian Medical Systems France, and Accuray Europe are the primary equipment suppliers for French public hospitals under multi-attribute framework agreements covering 12 product lots.
• Hospitals and integrated cancer centres are the largest end-user segment, operating within the public hospital system. The French market is experiencing significant technology modernisation, with surface-guided radiotherapy adoption increasing from 21% of centres in 2021 to 44% in 2024, and respiratory gating availability rising from 42% to 54% over the same period.
• Regulatory oversight is provided by the Autorité de sûreté nucléaire et de radioprotection and the Haute Autorité de santé, with quality management systems mandated following the 2021 ASN Decision. The legal framework includes mandatory accreditation (habilitation), periodic certification, and peer audit requirements for radiotherapy professionals and departments.

Market Outlook

• According to the research report, "France Radiotherapy Market Overview, 2031," published by Bonafide Research, the France Radiotherapy Market is anticipated to grow at more than 7.34% CAGR from 2026 to 2031. This growth trajectory reflects sustained public investment in radiotherapy infrastructure, technology modernisation, and increasing cancer burden across the aging population.
• The market is expected to benefit from continued government investment through the UniHA framework agreements. The current 2025-2029 procurement framework, coordinated by the CHU de Rennes biomedical engineering department, covers external radiotherapy equipment and software across 12 lots, with multi-attribute contracts enabling access to state-of-the-art treatment modalities including adaptive radiotherapy, hypofractionation, stereotactic techniques, image-guided and surface-guided radiotherapy.
• Technology adoption is accelerating across French radiotherapy centres. The installed base grew from 607 to 640 treatment machines between 2021 and 2024, with dedicated stereotactic systems (Cyberknife, TomoTherapy, Novalis) becoming more widespread. Major technology investments include the first MR-Linac Unity installation at Hôpital Henri-Mondor AP-HP in June 2025, a €8.5 million investment.
• The market is also characterised by significant innovation investment. The FRATHEA project, a partnership between Institut Curie, CEA, and Thales, aims to construct a world-first FLASH radiotherapy platform with Very High Energy Electron beams, targeting cancers near vital organs including lung, pancreas, brain tumours, and paediatric cancers. The project is financed by France 2030 and the Île-de-France Region with €37 million over four years.
• Long-term growth is supported by demographic trends and a strengthening workforce. The number of radiation oncologists in France increased by nearly 80% between 2013 and 2023. The average number of radiation oncologists per centre increased from 4.4 to 4.7 FTE between 2021 and 2024, with medical physicists increasing from 4.1 to 4.4 FTE per centre, supporting equipment utilisation and service delivery.

Market Dynamics

Driver: Sustained Public Investment and Centralised Procurement
The primary driver of the French radiotherapy market is sustained public investment through the national healthcare system and centralised procurement mechanisms. UniHA, the French hospital purchasing group, manages framework agreements for radiotherapy equipment procurement. The current 2025-2029 framework, coordinated by CHU de Rennes, covers external radiotherapy equipment and software across 12 lots, with multi-attribute contracts ensuring access to the latest treatment modalities including adaptive radiotherapy, image-guided and surface-guided radiotherapy, and stereotactic techniques. Major equipment suppliers including Elekta, Varian Medical Systems France, and Accuray Europe are registered under these framework agreements, with contracts enabling equipment purchase, leasing, and comprehensive maintenance services. The availability of 7-10 year leasing options for equipment and 5-7 year contracts for software facilitates technology modernisation across public hospitals.

Challenge: Regulatory Complexity and Quality Management Requirements
A significant challenge facing the French radiotherapy market is the comprehensive and evolving regulatory framework governing quality and safety. Following the Épinal radiation accident, French radiotherapy departments have progressively structured their quality management systems under ASNR oversight. The 2021 ASN Decision (No. 2021-DC-0708) strengthened quality assurance requirements, mandating formalised accreditation (habilitation) processes with traceability of competencies and regulatory compliance. Periodic certification of health professionals, expanded through the 2019 health system transformation law and the July 2021 ordinance, requires regular competency validation across all regulated health professions. Peer audit requirements, transposed from the 2013/59/Euratom directive, mandate clinical audits by peers as part of mandatory quality assurance systems. These regulatory requirements impose significant administrative and operational burdens on radiotherapy departments.



Trend: Digital Transformation and Innovation Investment
A major trend shaping the French radiotherapy market is the digital transformation of clinical facilities and substantial investment in next-generation technologies. The adoption of advanced imaging and guidance technologies is accelerating: surface-guided radiotherapy utilisation increased from 21% of centres in 2021 to 44% in 2024, respiratory gating availability rose from 42% to 54%, and 4D CT scanning is now used by 91% of centres. Major technology investments are underway, with the first MR-Linac Unity installed at Hôpital Henri-Mondor AP-HP in June 2025, representing a €8.5 million investment. The FRATHEA project, a partnership between Institut Curie, CEA, and Thales, is constructing a world-first FLASH radiotherapy platform with VHEE beams, funded by France 2030 and the Île-de-France Region with €37 million over four years. Digital challenges, including cybersecurity vulnerabilities and the risk of inadvertent reirradiation, are increasingly integrated into quality management systems.

Policies

• The Autorité de sûreté nucléaire et de radioprotection provides regulatory oversight for radiotherapy facilities. The 2021 ASN Decision (No. 2021-DC-0708) strengthened quality assurance requirements, mandating formalised accreditation, change management processes, and peer audit systems. As of January 2025, ASN was renamed ASNR, consolidating nuclear safety and radiation protection oversight.
• The Haute Autorité de santé oversees the certification system for healthcare facilities, with radiotherapy departments subject to regular certification assessments that evolve with each iteration.
• Periodic certification of health professionals is required under the 2019 health system transformation law and the July 2021 ordinance (No. 2021-961), mandating regular competency validation across all regulated health professions involved in radiotherapy.
• Peer audit requirements are mandated by the transposition of EU Council Directive 2013/59/Euratom into French law (Article R. 1333-70 of the Public Health Code, June 2018), requiring clinical audits by peers as part of mandatory quality assurance systems.
• UniHA (the French hospital purchasing group) manages framework agreements for radiotherapy equipment procurement. The 2025-2029 framework, coordinated by CHU de Rennes, covers external radiotherapy equipment and software across 12 lots, enabling equipment purchase, leasing, and comprehensive maintenance services.
• The France 2030 investment programme and the Île-de-France Region provide substantial funding for radiotherapy innovation, including €37 million for the FRATHEA FLASH radiotherapy project at Institut Curie.
• The Société française de radiothérapie oncologique publishes the RecoRad™ recommendations for external radiotherapy and brachytherapy procedures, providing clinical practice guidelines that shape treatment delivery and technology adoption.

Segment Analysis

France Radiotherapy Market By Therapy Type
• External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT): This is the largest therapy segment, reflecting the widespread installed base of 640 treatment machines (excluding brachytherapy) in 2024. The installed base grew 5% between 2021 and 2024, with equipment renewal and specialisation evident through the diffusion of dedicated machines including Cyberknife, TomoTherapy, and Novalis systems. IMRT has become nearly universal, with 99% of centres utilising the technique in 2024. Stereotactic irradiation is growing rapidly: intracranial stereotactic availability increased from 66% of centres in 2021 to 86% in 2024, with extracranial stereotactic rising from 60% to 81%. The segment is driven by the clinical dominance of advanced EBRT techniques for a broad spectrum of malignancies.
• Internal / Brachytherapy: This segment remains clinically essential, with 36% of French radiotherapy centres practicing brachytherapy in 2024. Brachytherapy services are concentrated in specialised centres with dedicated physics support, particularly for prostate, gynaecological, breast, and head and neck cancers. Equipment procurement for brachytherapy is included in the UniHA 2025-2029 framework.
• Systemic Radiotherapy: This is the fastest-growing therapy segment, driven by the emergence of novel radiopharmaceuticals and targeted radionuclide therapies. The segment benefits from French academic research institutions and clinical trial infrastructure, with the NCIC Clinical Trials Group and Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology providing frameworks for clinical research. The regulatory framework under ASNR provides specific provisions for administration of radioactive substances for treatment or diagnosis.

France Radiotherapy Market By Offering
• Radiotherapy Systems/Equipment: This segment holds the largest market share by revenue, driven by the high capital cost of linear accelerators, stereotactic systems, and MR-Linac platforms. Major equipment suppliers for French public hospitals include Elekta, Varian Medical Systems France, and Accuray Europe, registered under the UniHA 2025-2029 framework agreements. Equipment procurement includes conventional LINACs (Lot 1), stereotactic systems (Lot 2), online adaptive radiotherapy platforms such as Varian Ethos and Elekta EVO (Lot 3), MR-Linac Unity (Lot 4), Cyberknife S7 FM (Lot 5), and Gamma Knife systems (Lot 6). Equipment renewal cycles and technology modernisation drive sustained demand.
• Software & Services: This is the fastest-growing segment, reflecting the increasing digitalisation of radiation oncology. The software component includes treatment planning systems, oncology information systems, and AI-powered tools covered under the UniHA framework's 5-7 year software licensing and 5-10 year service contracts. Comprehensive maintenance services are included in framework agreements, with personalized service contracts available. The trend toward surface-guided radiotherapy, respiratory gating, and online adaptive treatments drives software demand.

France Radiotherapy Market By Application
• Breast Cancer: This is a major application segment, with breast cancer ranking among the most frequent malignancies in France. Radiotherapy plays a central role in breast-conserving therapy and post-mastectomy treatment. Hypofractionation protocols are widely adopted to optimise treatment efficiency and patient convenience.
• Prostate Cancer: A significant application area, with widespread use of EBRT, SBRT, and brachytherapy. French radiation oncology departments offer advanced prostate cancer treatment with image guidance and real-time tracking. Brachytherapy for prostate cancer remains an established modality in 36% of centres.
• Lung Cancer: This segment is growing, with increased adoption of SBRT for early-stage and oligometastatic disease. Extracranial stereotactic availability increased to 81% of centres in 2024. The FRATHEA FLASH project targets lung cancer as a primary indication.
• Head & Neck Cancer: This is a critical application due to anatomical complexity, requiring highly conformal radiation delivery. IMRT is the standard of care, with 99% of centres offering the technique. This segment drives adoption of advanced image-guided and adaptive radiotherapy platforms.
• Central Nervous System / Brain: This is a significant application, with stereotactic radiosurgery for brain metastases and primary CNS tumours. Intracranial stereotactic availability increased to 86% of centres in 2024. The FRATHEA project targets brain tumours as a primary indication.
• Gastro-intestinal: Applications include oesophageal, rectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers. The FRATHEA project targets pancreatic cancer as a primary indication. French academic centres are active in clinical trials on radiochemotherapy for gastrointestinal malignancies.
• Other Applications: Includes gynaecological, haematological, paediatric, and palliative care indications. Paediatric cancers are a target for the FRATHEA FLASH project, aiming to reduce long-term side effects.

France Radiotherapy Market By End User
• Hospitals & Integrated Cancer Centres: This is the largest end-user segment, operating within the public hospital system under the framework of UniHA procurement. Major cancer centres including Institut Curie and Gustave Roussy are at the forefront of technology adoption. The first MR-Linac Unity in France was installed at Hôpital Henri-Mondor AP-HP in June 2025, a €8.5 million investment. Public hospitals are the primary beneficiaries of UniHA framework agreements.
• Standalone Radiotherapy Centres: This segment includes private healthcare providers such as Ramsay Santé, one of Europe's leading private healthcare providers operating 350 facilities across France. Ramsay Santé is modernising its radiotherapy equipment, with C-RAD delivering advanced Surface Guided Radiation Therapy systems to Hôpital Privé Clairval (Marseille) and Hôpital Privé Les Peupliers (Paris). This segment is growing as private providers invest in advanced technology.
• Academic/Research Institutions: This is the fastest-growing segment, reflecting their central role in advancing the field through clinical trials and technology validation. Institut Curie, in partnership with CEA and Thales, is constructing the FRATHEA FLASH radiotherapy platform, a world-first VHEE facility financed by France 2030 and the Île-de-France Region with €37 million. The BioALTO project at IJCLab, a €197k SESAME-funded platform for preclinical hadron therapy research, is scheduled for commissioning in 2027. Gustave Roussy, Europe's leading cancer centre, collaborates on preclinical research.
• Other Healthcare Facilities: Includes community hospitals and palliative care facilities, contributing to broad-based demand for radiotherapy services across France.

France Radiotherapy Market Economics

• Equipment procurement in France is predominantly conducted through UniHA framework agreements, which achieve significant cost savings through centralised purchasing. The current 2025-2029 framework includes performance targets, with a -0.7% purchasing performance objective relative to DGOS benchmarks.
• Multi-year contracts are standard, with equipment purchase or leasing available over 7-10 years and software contracts over 5-7 years, enabling predictable maintenance costs and technology lifecycle management.
• The economic value of radiotherapy is well-recognised in France, with hypofractionation reducing the number of patient transports and contributing to sustainability objectives. The reduction in total annual treatment sessions by 3% between 2021 and 2024 (to 4.16 million sessions) reflects the impact of hypofractionation on treatment efficiency.
• Private healthcare providers represent a growing economic segment, with Ramsay Santé investing in advanced SGRT systems valued at 8.5 MSEK including multi-year service contracts.
• The economic impact of innovation investment is significant. The FRATHEA project received €37 million in public funding from France 2030 and the Île-de-France Region. The MR-Linac Unity at Hôpital Henri-Mondor represented an €8.5 million capital investment.
• Equipment downtime directly affects patient access, treatment schedules, and clinical outcomes. With 640 treatment machines serving 231,000 patients annually, effective maintenance programmes are critical to ensure uninterrupted access to radiotherapy services.
• The cost of cybersecurity maintenance is an emerging economic factor, with digital challenges including cybersecurity vulnerabilities increasingly integrated into quality management systems.

Market Outlook by Infrastructure, Investment and Industry Development

• The UniHA 2025-2029 radiotherapy equipment framework, coordinated by the CHU de Rennes biomedical engineering department, provides a centralised procurement mechanism covering 12 product lots, including conventional LINACs, stereotactic systems, online adaptive radiotherapy platforms, MR-Linac, Cyberknife, Gamma Knife, surface-guided radiotherapy systems, and software.
• Major equipment suppliers registered under the framework include Elekta, Varian Medical Systems France, and Accuray Europe. Multi-attribute contracts ensure access to state-of-the-art technologies including adaptive radiotherapy (offline and online), hypofractionation, stereotactic, image-guided, and surface-guided radiotherapy.
• The FRATHEA project at Institut Curie, a partnership with CEA and Thales, is constructing a world-first FLASH radiotherapy platform with VHEE beams, targeting cancers near vital organs and paediatric cancers. The project is financed by France 2030 and the Île-de-France Region with €37 million over four years, with installation scheduled by 2029.
• The BioALTO platform at IJCLab, funded by the Île-de-France Region's SESAME programme with €197k, is a new preclinical hadron therapy research facility scheduled for commissioning in 2027, enabling research on proton and carbon ion therapy in collaboration with Gustave Roussy and Institut Curie.
• Private healthcare investment continues, with Ramsay Santé operating 350 facilities across France modernising its oncology network with C-RAD SGRT systems at Hôpital Privé Clairval and Hôpital Privé Les Peupliers.
• Digital transformation is enabling remote diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and real-time performance monitoring of radiotherapy equipment. The adoption of surface-guided radiotherapy increased from 21% to 44% of centres between 2021 and 2024, with respiratory gating rising from 42% to 54%.
• The workforce is strengthening: radiation oncologists increased by nearly 80% between 2013 and 2023, with average FTE per centre rising to 4.7 for radiation oncologists and 4.4 for medical physicists between 2021 and 2024. The youngest age cohort (36-40 years) now represents the largest category for both radiation oncologists (31%) and medical physicists (29%), indicating a positive workforce renewal trend.
• The long-term outlook remains positive as cancer incidence continues to rise, technology innovation accelerates, public investment through UniHA and France 2030 sustains equipment modernisation, and the critical role of radiotherapy in comprehensive cancer care remains a cornerstone of France's healthcare system.



Considered in this report
• Historic Year: 2020
• Base year: 2025
• Estimated year: 2026
• Forecast year: 2031

Aspects covered in this report
• Radiotherapy Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Therapy Type
• External Beam Radiotherapy (EBRT)
• Internal / Brachytherapy
• Systemic Radiotherapy

By Offering
• Radiotherapy Systems/Equipment
• Software & Services

By Application
• Breast Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Head & Neck Cancer
• Central Nervous System / Brain
• Gastro-intestinal
• Other Applications

By End User

• Hospitals & Integrated Cancer Centers
• Standalone Radiotherapy Centers
• Academic/Research Institutions
• Other Healthcare Facilities