License amendment for neutron capture therapy at the MIT research reactor

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States)

OSTI ID:6911808

Bernard, J A ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambride, MA (United States)

This paper reports the issuance by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) of a license amendment to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the use of the MIT Research Reactor's (MITR-II) medical therapy facility beam for the treatment of humans using neutron capture therapy (NCT). This amendment is one of 11 required approvals. The others are those of internal MIT committees, review panels of the Tufts-New England Medical Center (NEMC), which is directing the program jointly with MIT, that of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and an NRC amendment to the NEMC hospital license. This amendment is the first of its type to be issued by NRC, and as such it establishes a precedent for the conduct of human therapy using neutron beams. Neutron capture therapy is a bimodal method for treating cancer that entails the administration of a tumor-seeking boronated drug followed by the irradiation of the target organ with neutrons. The latter cause boron nuclei to fission and thereby release densely ionizing helium and lithium nuclei, which destroy cancerous cells while leaving adjacent healthy cells undamaged. Neutron capture therapy is applicable to glioblastoma multiforme (brain tumors) and metastasized melanoma (skin cancer). Both Brookhaven National Laboratory and MIT conducted trials of NCT more than 30 yr ago. These were unsuccessful because the available boron drugs did not concentrate sufficiently in tumor and because the thermal neutron beams that were used did not enable neutrons to travel deep enough into the brain.

• OSTI ID: 6911808
• Report Number(s): CONF-931160--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (United States) Journal Volume: 69
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
550603 -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Therapy-- (1980-)
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
AMENDMENTS
ANIMAL CELLS
BEAMS
CARCINOMAS
DISEASES
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EPITHELIOMAS
HEAVY WATER COOLED REACTORS
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
LICENSES
LICENSING
MEDICINE
MELANOMAS
MITR REACTOR
NEOPLASMS
NEUTRON BEAMS
NEUTRON CAPTURE THERAPY
NEUTRON THERAPY
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEON BEAMS
OPERATING LICENSES
PARTICLE BEAMS
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
REACTOR LICENSING
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
TANK TYPE REACTORS
THERAPY
THERMAL REACTORS
TRAINING REACTORS
TUMOR CELLS