Early clinical experience of boron neutron capture therapy for glioblastoma multiforme

摘要

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a binary treatment modality that can selectively irradiate tumor tissue. BNCT uses drugs containing a stable isotope of boron. (sup 10)B, to sensitize tumor cells to irradiation by low energy (thermal) neutrons. The interaction of the (sup 10)B with a thermal neutron (neutron capture) causes the (sup 10)B nucleus to split, releasing an alpha particle and a lithium nucleus. These products of the (sup 10)B(n, (alpha))(sup 7)Li reaction are very damaging to cells but have a combined path length in tissue of approximately 14 (mu)m, or roughly the diameter of one or two cells. Thus, most of the ionizing energy imparted to tissue is localized to (sup 10)B-loaded cells.