Boron neutron capture therapy for cancer

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Scientific American; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican1090-100· OSTI ID:6037512

Barth, R E; Soloway, A H ^[1]; Fairchild, R G ^[2]

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1. Ohio State Univ., Columbus (USA)
2. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY (USA) State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook (USA)

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) bring together two components that when kept separate have only minor effects on normal cells. The first component is a stable isotope of boron (boron 10) that can be concentrated in tumor cells. The second is a beam of low-energy neutrons that produces short-range radiation when absorbed, or captured, by the boron. The combination of these two conditions at the site of a tumor releases intense radiation that can destroy malignant tissues. BNCT is based on the nuclear reaction that occurs when boron 10 is irradiated with an absorbs neutrons. The neutrons that it takes up are called thermal, or slow, neutrons. They are of such low energy that they cause little tissue damage as compared with other forms of radiation such as protons, gamma rays and fast neutrons. When an atom of boron 10 captures a neutron, an unstable isotope, boron 11, forms. The boron 11 instantly fissions, yielding lithium 7 nuclei and energetic alpha particles. These heavy particles, which carry 2.79 million electron volts of energy, are a highly lethal form of radiation. If the treatment proceeds as intended, the destructive effects of the capture reaction would occur primarily in those cancer cells that have accumulated boron 10. Normal cells with low concentrations of boron would be spared.

• OSTI ID: 6037512
• Journal Information: Scientific American; (USA), Vol. 263:4; ISSN 0036-8733
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
RADIOTHERAPY
NEUTRONS
BORON 10
LETHAL IRRADIATION
NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY
TUMOR CELLS
ANIMAL CELLS
BARYONS
BORON ISOTOPES
DISEASES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MEDICINE
NEUTRON THERAPY
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
NUCLEONS
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIOLOGY
STABLE ISOTOPES
THERAPY
550603* - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)