skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Boron dose determination for BNCT using Fricke and EPR dosimetry

Conference ·
OSTI ID:10110765
 [1];  [2]
  1. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
  2. Medical Academy, Gdansk (Poland). Dept. of Physics and Biophysics

In Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) the dominant dose delivered to the tumor is due to {alpha} and {sup 7}Li charged particles resulting from a neutron capture by {sup 10}B and is referred to herein as the boron dose. Boron dose is directly attributable to the following two independent factors, one boron concentration and the neutron capture energy dependent cross section of boron, and two the energy spectrum of the neutrons that interact with boron. The neutron energy distribution at a given point is dictated by the incident neutron energy distribution, the depth in tissue, geometrical factors such as beam size and patient`s dimensions. To account for these factors can be accommodated by using Monte Carlo theoretical simulations. However, in conventional experimental BNCT dosimetry, e.g., using TLDs or ionization chambers, it is only possible to estimate the boron dose. To overcome some of the limitations in the conventional dosimetry, modifications in ferrous sulfate dosimetry (Fricke) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) dosimetry in alanine, enable to measure specifically boron dose in a mixed gamma neutron radiation fields. The boron dose, in either of the dosimeters, is obtained as a difference between measurements with boronated and unboronated dosimeters. Since boron participates directly in the measurements, the boron dosimetry reflects the true contribution, integral of the neutron energy spectrum with boron cross section, of the boron dose to the total dose. Both methods are well established and used extensively in dosimetry, they are presented briefly here.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH00016
OSTI ID:
10110765
Report Number(s):
BNL-61279; CONF-9410281-2; ON: DE95005966; TRN: 95:001749
Resource Relation:
Conference: 6. international symposium on neutron capture therapy for cancer,Kobe (Japan),31 Oct - 4 Nov 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English