Designing accelerator-based epithermal neutron beams for boron neutron capture therapy

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1998 · Medical Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1118/1.598353· OSTI ID:644900

Bleuel, D L ^[1]; Donahue, R J; Ludewigt, B A ^[1]; Vujic, J ^[2]

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1. E. O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
2. Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

The {sup 7}Li(p,n){sup 7}Be reaction has been investigated as an accelerator-driven neutron source for proton energies between 2.1 and 2.6 MeV. Epithermal neutron beams shaped by three moderator materials, Al/AlF{sub 3}, {sup 7}LiF, and D{sub 2}O, have been analyzed and their usefulness for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) treatments evaluated. Radiation transport through the moderator assembly has been simulated with the Monte Carlo {ital N}-particle code (MCNP). Fluence and dose distributions in a head phantom were calculated using BNCT treatment planning software. Depth-dose distributions and treatment times were studied as a function of proton beam energy and moderator thickness. It was found that an accelerator-based neutron source with Al/AlF{sub 3} or {sup 7}LiF as moderator material can produce depth-dose distributions superior to those calculated for a previously published neutron beam design for the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor, achieving up to {approximately}50{percent} higher doses near the midline of the brain. For a single beam treatment, a proton beam current of 20 mA, and a {sup 7}LiF moderator, the treatment time was estimated to be about 40 min. The tumor dose deposited at a depth of 8 cm was calculated to be about 21 Gy-Eq. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.}

• OSTI ID: 644900
• Journal Information: Medical Physics, Vol. 25, Issue 9; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1998
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
BORON
DOSIMETRY
NEUTRON BEAMS
NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY
ACCELERATORS
DESIGN
EPITHERMAL NEUTRONS
COMPUTER CODES
MONTE CARLO METHOD
PROTON-NEUTRON INTERACTIONS
LITHIUM 7 REACTIONS
BERYLLIUM 7 REACTIONS
PHANTOMS
LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY
RADIOTHERAPY
MODERATORS
BORON NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY (BNCT)