A comparison of the dose RBE and the biological dosimetry approaches for treatment planning in BNCT

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6695440

Laster, B H ^[1]; Liu, H B; Gordon, C R; Bond, V P ^[2]

---

1. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States) University Hospital, Stony Brook, NY (United States). Dept. of Radiation Oncology
2. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)

Treatment planning for clinical trials with boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is complicated substantially by the fact that the radiation field generated by the activating external neutron beam is composed of several different types of radiation, i.e., fast neutrons, recoil protons from elastic collisions with hydrogen, gamma rays from the reactor and from neutron capture by body hydrogen, protons from nitrogen capture, and the products of the NCT interaction. Furthermore, the relative contribution of each type of radiation varies with depth in tissue. Because each of these radiations has its own RBE, and the RBE of the fast neutron component will not be constant as the neutron spectrum changes with depth, the problem of predicting the severity of the biological effect, in depth, becomes complex indeed. In order to attack this problem, Monte Carlo calculations of dose, checked against benchmark measurements, are employed. Two approaches are then used to assess the severity of the effect. In the first, the effective dose (D[sub EF]) is determined by summing the products of (D[center dot]RBE) for each radiation. The other approach involves placing cells at the location for which the D[sub EF] was calculated. Using a dose-response curvefrom a low-LET radiation, e.g. [sup 137]Cs gamma rays (D[sub [gamma]Ca]), the photon equivalent dose (PED, or D[sub P]) can be determined. If the RBE values used are correct, the D[sub EF] and the D[sub P] should be essentially identical.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6695440
• Report Number(s): BNL-48322; CONF-9209280-8; ON: DE93006646
• Resource Relation: Conference: Neutron capture therapy for cancer, Columbus, OH (United States), 13-17 Sep 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY
NEUTRON DOSIMETRY
BORON
MONTE CARLO METHOD
PHANTOMS
RBE
CALCULATION METHODS
DOSIMETRY
ELEMENTS
MEDICINE
MOCKUP
NEUTRON THERAPY
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
SEMIMETALS
STRUCTURAL MODELS
THERAPY
550603* - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)
550604 - Medicine- Unsealed Radionuclides in Therapy- (1980-)
560101 - Biomedical Sciences
Applied Studies- Radiation Effects- Dosimetry & Monitoring- (1992-)