Healthcare Insights
Top radiation oncology procedure codes
Radiation oncology has come a long way since X-rays were discovered in 1895. Today, advanced procedures like intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and precision treatment planning not only drive clinical outcomes but also represent a significant portion of radiology revenue. Understanding which procedures are most frequently performed offers insight into resource allocation, technology investment, and growth opportunities in cancer care.
What is radiation oncology?
Radiation oncology is a medical specialty that uses high-energy radiation to treat cancer and, in some cases, certain non-cancerous conditions. The goal is to destroy or damage cancer cells while minimizing harm to healthy tissues. Radiation oncology can cure certain cancers, control tumor growth, or relieve symptoms like pain and obstruction.
Modern techniques, such as IMRT and image-guided therapy, rely on careful treatment planning and advanced physics to deliver precise, effective care. These approaches have made radiation therapy both a clinical cornerstone and a key driver of hospital and clinic operations.
Using data from the Definitive Healthcare Atlas All-Payor Claims dataset, the table below shows the most commonly performed radiation oncology procedures in 2024, listed by their Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code.
| Rank | CPT code | Description | % of 2024 radiology procedures | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 77386 | Intensity modulated radiation treatment delivery (IMRT), includes guidance and tracking, when performed; complex | 13% | Explore |
| 2 | 77336 | Continuing medical physics consultation, including assessment of treatment parameters, quality assurance of dose delivery, and review of patient treatment documentation in support of the radiation oncologist, reported per week of therapy | 10% | Explore |
| 3 | 77412 | Radiation treatment delivery; level 3, multiple isocenters with photon therapy (e.g., 2D, 3D, or IMRT) or a single-isocenter photon therapy (e.g., 3D or IMRT) with active motion management, or total skin electrons, or mixed-electron/photon field(s), including imaging guidance, when performed | 10% | Explore |
| 4 | 77385 | Intensity modulated radiation treatment delivery (IMRT), includes guidance and tracking, when performed; simple | 9% | Explore |
| 5 | 77427 | Radiation treatment management, 5 treatments | 9% | Explore |
| 6 | 77387 | Guidance for localization of target volume for delivery of radiation treatment, includes intrafraction tracking, when performed | 7% | Explore |
| 7 | 77334 | Treatment devices, design and construction; complex (irregular blocks, special shields, compensators, wedges, molds or casts) | 6% | Explore |
| 8 | 77300 | Basic radiation dosimetry calculation, central axis depth dose calculation, TDF, NSD, gap calculation, off-axis factor, tissue inhomogeneity factors, calculation of non-ionizing radiation surface and depth dose, as required during course of treatment, only when prescribed by the treating physician | 6% | Explore |
| 9 | 77338 | Multi-leaf collimator (MLC) device(s) for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), design and construction per IMRT plan | 4% | Explore |
| 10 | 77280 | Therapeutic radiology simulation-aided field setting; simple | 3% | Explore |
Fig 1. Data from the Definitive Healthcare Atlas All-Payor Claims. Accessed November 2025.
What are the most common radiation oncology CPT codes?
In 2024, the top three radiology procedures were intensity modulated radiation treatment (IMRT, CPT 77386) at 13%, continuing medical physics consultations (CPT 77336) at 10%, and level 3 radiation treatment deliveries (CPT 77412) at 10%. IMRT delivers highly precise, targeted radiation for complex tumor sites, while medical physics consultations ensure accurate dosing and treatment quality. Level 3 deliveries typically involve advanced photon therapies for challenging targets. Together, these procedures accounted for approximately one-third of all radiology procedures, underscoring the field’s reliance on precision-guided therapies.
Learn more
Want deeper insights into radiation oncology procedures, other radiotherapy treatments, and the oncologists prescribing them? Looking for top experts and key opinion leaders (KOLs) within the field? The Definitive Healthcare platform offers data, analytics, and expertise on more than 9,100 hospitals and IDNs in the U.S., with claims data updated monthly.
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