Dosimetry And Treatment Planning For Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Frontiers in Neutron Capture Therapy contains current research results originally presented at the Eighth International Symposium on Neutron Capture Therapy for Cancer in La Jolla, CA. This comprehensive collection of peer-reviewed manuscripts is showcased in two volumes covering all aspects of the development of this multidisciplinary approach to cancer therapy. Volume I of this work includes clinical results and current progress in treatment planning, neutron sources and dosimetry, while Volume II presents the synthesis, pharmacology and tissue-targeting design of boron compounds, including work on preclinical dosimetry and radiobiology. Intended for researchers and clinicians involved with or interested in new modes of cancer therapy, this volume will also serve as a useful guideline for scientists, students, and practitioners in the field.

The book focuses on two concurrent experimental therapies in cancer treatment known as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and gadolinium neutron capture therapy (GdNCT) using a variety of boron- and gadolinium-based compounds. Some of the gadolinium compounds serve the dual purpose as being MRI contrast agents and GdNCT agents. The book describes why BNCT & GdNCT were not at the forefront of the clinical trials during the past seven to eight decades since the discovery of neutrons by John Chadwick in 1932 and how the latest development in the synthesis of target boron- and gadolinium-based drugs has turned the area into the hottest one worthy of further investigation with the new clinical trials in the USA and elsewhere.

Neutron capture therapy (NCT) is based on the ability of the non-radioactive isotope boron-10 to capture thermal neutrons with very high probability and immediately to release heavy particles with a path length of one cell diameter, which in principle allows for tumor cell-selective high-LET particle radiotherapy. This book provides a comprehensive summary of the progress made in NCT in recent years. Individual sections cover all important aspects, including neutron sources, boron chemistry, drugs for NCT, dosimetry, and radiation biology. The use of NCT in a variety of malignancies and also some non-malignant diseases is extensively discussed. NCT is clearly shown to be a promising modality at the threshold of wider clinical application. All of the chapters are written by experienced specialists in language that will be readily understood by all participating disciplines.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a neutron-based technique that allows selective cancer treatment at the tumour cellular level. BNCT is especially suitable for the treatment of brain, head, neck and skin cancers. Using the reaction between a neutron and boron to selectively destroy cancer cells, BNCT is a treatment that differs radically from conventional radiotherapy and promises to become a more widely adopted option for cancer treatment. BNCT is undergoing a major resurgence of interest around the world as some recent progress in accelerator technology allows the procedure to be undertake in clinics. In addition, the approval of BNCT in Japan as a routine clinical treatment for certain tumour types offers valuable insights for other states considering a similar approach. This publication comprehensively reports on the current state of the science as well as the supporting technology. It covers accelerator-based neutron sources, beam design, physical dosimetry, facility design and operation, pharmaceuticals, radiobiology, dose calculation, treatment planning and clinical trials. It has been written to assist in decision making at the national level as well as offering practical guidance for all those involved in implementation and ongoing management of BNCT programmes.

Two dozen substantial papers from a workshop in Petten, the Netherlands, September 1991, present a snapshot of the use of boron neutron capture therapy for the treatment of cancer, at the moment when the results of the first clinical trials on humans were just available, and several countries were c

The technology for computational dosimetry and treatment planning for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) has advanced significantly over the past few years. Because of the more complex nature of the problem, the computational methods that work well for treatment planning in photon radiotherapy are not applicable to BNCT. The necessary methods have, however, been developed and have been successfully employed both for research applications as well as human trials. Computational geometry for BNCT applications can be constructed directly from tomographic medical imagery and computed radiation dose distributions can be readily displayed in formats that are familiar to the radiotherapy community. The SERA system represents a significant advance in several areas for treatment planning. However further improvements in speed and results presentation are still needed for routine clinical applications, particularly when optimizations of dose pattern is required.

For this Workshop, the organizers have attempted to invite experts from all known centers which are engaged in neutron beam development for neutron capture therapy. The Workshop was designed around a series of nineteen invited papers which dealt with neutron source design and development and beam characterization and performance. Emphasis was placed on epithermal beams because they offer clinical advantages and are more challenging to implement than thermal beams. Fission reactor sources were the basis for the majority of the papers; however three papers dealt with accelerator neutron sources. An additional three invited papers provided a summary of clinical results of Ncr therapy in Japan between 1968 and 1989 and overviews of clinical considerations for neutron capture therapy and of the status of tumor targeting chemical agents for Ncr. Five contributed poster papers dealing with NCT beam design and performance were also presented. A rapporteurs' paper was prepared after the Workshop to attempt to summarize the major aspects, issues, and conclusions which resulted from this Workshop. Many people contributed to both the smooth functioning of the Workshop and to the preparation of these proceedings. Special thanks are reserved for Ms. Dorothy K.

For physicians, particularly oncologists, and for specialists involved with the equipment or procedures of nuclear medicine, describes the use of large nuclear installations to treat cancer. Reviews the results obtained with neutrons produced by accelerators of different energies; details the use of nuclear reactors for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, emphasizing the collaboration between disciplines; surveys the experience of medium- and high- energy accelerators in various laboratories; and the assesses the advantages of Synchrotron light emitted from large electron storage rings in both diagnosis and therapy. No index. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR