BORON NEUTRON-CAPTURE ENHANCED FAST-NEUTRON RADIOTHERAPY FOR MALIGNANT GLIOMAS AND OTHER TUMORS

Both fast neutron radiotherapy and boron neutron capture therapy have been investigated as new radiation treatment techniques for patients w ith malignant gliomas. While each of these techniques individually has shown the potential for pathological eradication of malignant glioma, to date neither has evolved into an accepted, improved method of trea tment. We have recently begun a research program investigating the fea sibility of combining the benefits of both types of therapy. As a fast neutron beam penetrates tissue some of the particles are degraded to thermal energies. These can be captured by B-10 or other suitable isot opes resulting in a highly-localized release of additional energy duri ng a course of fast neutron radiotherapy. In this article we will revi ew the rationale for such an approach, and review the underlying physi cs as well as in vitro, in vivo, and early human studies testing its f easibility. If appropriate carrier agents can be found that preferenti ally-localize in tumor cells, this approach can be applied to many dif ferent tumor systems.