Feasibility of the utilization of BNCT in the fast neutron therapy beam at Fermilab

Katja Langen, Arlene J. Lennox, Thomas K. Kroc and Paul M. DeLuca, Jr.

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

关键词: Neutron Spectra;    43 Particle Accelerators;    62 Radiology And Nuclear Medicine;    Neoplasms;    Brain;   

RP-ID  :  FERMILAB-TM-2118
RP-ID  :  AC02-76CH03000
RP-ID  :  756969

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The Neutron Therapy Facility at Fermilab has treated cancer patients since 1976. Since then more than 2,300 patients have been treated and a wealth of clinical information accumulated. The therapeutic neutron beam at Fermilab is produced by bombarding a beryllium target with 66 MeV protons. The resulting continuous neutron spectrum ranges from thermal to 66 MeV in neutron energy. It is clear that this spectrum is not well suited for the treatment of tumors with boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) only However, since this spectrum contains thermal and epithermal components the authors are investigating whether BNCT can be used in this beam to boost the tumor dose. There are clinical scenarios in which a selective tumor dose boost of 10 - 15% could be clinically significant. For these cases the principal treatment would still be fast neutron therapy but a tumor boost could be used either to deliver a higher dose to the tumor tissue or to reduce the dose to the normal healthy tissue while maintaining the absorbed dose level in the tumor tissue.