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An in-phantom comparison of neutron fields for BNCT

Description: Previously, the authors have developed the in-phantom neutron field assessment parameters T and D (Tumor) for the evaluation of epithermal neutron fields for use in BNCT. These parameters are based on an energy-spectrum-dependent neutron normal-tissue RBE and the treatment planning methodology of Gahbauer and his co-workers, which includes the effects of dose fractionation. In this paper, these neutron field assessment parameters were applied to The Ohio State University (OSU) design of an Accelerator Based Neutron Source (ABNS) (hereafter called the OSU-ABNS) and the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR) epithermal neutron beam (hereafter called the BMRR-ENB), in order to judge the suitability of the OSU-ABNS for BNCT. The BMRR-ENB was chosen as the basis for comparison because it is presently being used in human clinical trials of BNCT and because it is the standard to which other neutron beams are most often compared.
Date: January 1, 1998
Creator: Woollard, J.E.; Blue, T.E. & Capala, J.
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Reactor beam calculations to determine optimum delivery of epithermal neutrons for treatment of brain tumors

Description: Studies were performed to assess theoretical tumor control probability (TCP) for brain-tumor treatment with boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) using epithermal neutron sources from reactors. The existing epithermal-neutron beams at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor Facility (BMRR), the Petten High Flux Reactor Facility (HWR) and the Finnish Research Reactor 1 (FIR1) have been analyzed and characterized using common analytical and measurement methods allowing for this inter-comparison. Each of these three facilities is unique and each offers an advantage in some aspect of BNCT, but none of these existing facilities excel in all neutron-beam attributes as related to BNCT. A comparison is therefore also shown for a near-optimum reactor beam which does not currently exist but which would be feasible with existing technology. This hypothetical beam is designated BNCT-1 and has a spectrum similar to the FIR-1, the mono-directionality of the HFR and the intensity of the BMRR. A beam very similar to the BNCT-1 could perhaps be achieved with modification of the BMRR, HFR, or FIR, and could certainly be realized in a new facility with today`s technology.
Date: October 1, 1997
Creator: Wheeler, F.J.; Nigg, D.W. & Capala, J.
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Doses delivered to normal brain under different treatment protocols at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Description: As of October 31, 1996, 23 glioblastoma multiforme patients underwent BNCT under several treatment protocols at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor. For treatment planning and dosimetry purposes, these protocols may be divided into four groups. The first group comprises protocols that used an 8-cm collimator and allowed a peak normal brain dose of 10.5 Gy-Eq to avolume of 1 cm{sup 3} were the thermal neutron flux was maximal (even if it happened to be in the tumor volume). The second group differs from the first in that it allowed a peak normal brain dose of 12.6 Gy-Eq. The protocols of the third and fourth groups allowed the prescribed peak normal brain dose of 12.6 Gy-Eq to be outside of the tumor volume, used a 12-cm collimator and, respectively, uni- or bilateral irradiations. We describe the treatment planning procedures and report the doses delivered to various structures of the brain.
Date: December 31, 1996
Creator: Capala, J.; Coderre, J.A. & Liu, H.B.
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Early clinical experience of boron neutron capture therapy for glioblastoma multiforme

Description: 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.
Date: December 31, 1995
Creator: Joel, D.D.; Bergland, R. & Capala, J.
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A treatment planning comparison of BPA- or BSH-based BNCT of malignant gliomas

Description: Accurate delivery of the prescribed dose during clinical BNCT requires knowledge (or reasonably valid assumptions) about the boron concentrations in tumor and normal tissues. For conversion of physical dose (Gy) into photon-equivalent dose (Gy-Eq), relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and/or compound-adjusted biological effectiveness (CBE) factors are required for each tissue. The BNCT treatment planning software requires input of the following values: the boron concentration in blood and tumor, RBEs in brain, tumor and skin for the high-LET beam components, the CBE factors for brain, tumor, and skin, and the RBE for the gamma component.
Date: December 31, 1996
Creator: Capala, J.; Coderre, J.A. & Chanana, A.D.
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department

Nominal effective radiation doses delivered during clinical trials of boron neutron capture therapy

Description: Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a binary system that, in theory, should selectively deliver lethal, high linear energy transfer (LET) radiation to tumor cells dispersed within normal tissues. It is based on the nuclear reaction 10-B(n, {alpha})7-Li, which occurs when the stable nucleus of boron-10 captures a thermal neutron. Due to the relatively high cross-section of the 10-B nucleus for thermal neutron capture and short ranges of the products of this reaction, tumor cells in the volume exposed to thermal neutrons and containing sufficiently high concentration of 10-B would receive a much higher radiation dose than the normal cells contained within the exposed volume. Nevertheless, radiation dose deposited in normal tissue by gamma and fast neutron contamination of the neutron beam, as well as neutron capture in nitrogen, 14-N(n,p)14-C, hydrogen, 1-H(n,{gamma})2-H, and in boron present in blood and normal cells, limits the dose that can be delivered to tumor cells. It is, therefore, imperative for the success of the BNCT the dosed delivered to normal tissues be accurately determined in order to optimize the irradiation geometry and to limit the volume of normal tissue exposed to thermal neutrons. These are the major objectives of BNCT treatment planning.
Date: December 31, 1997
Creator: Capala, J.; Diaz, A.Z. & Chanana, A.D.
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Epidermal growth factor (EGF) as a potential targeting agent for delivery of boron to malignant gliomas

Description: The majority of high grade gliomas express an amplified epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, and this often is associated with an increase in cell surface receptor expression. The rapid internalization and degradation of EGF-EGFR complexes, as well as their high affinity make EGF a potential targeting agent for delivery of {sup 10}B to tumor cells with an amplified number of EGFR. Human glioma cells can expresses as many as 10{sup 5} {minus}10{sup 6} EGF receptors per cell, and if these could be saturated with boronated EGF, then > 10{sup 8} boron atoms would be delivered per cell. Since EGF has a comparatively low molecular weight ({approximately} 6 kD), this has allowed us to construct relatively small bioconjugates containing {approximately} 900 boron atoms per EGF molecule{sup 3}, which also had high affinity for EGFR on tumor cells. In the present study, the feasibility of using EGF receptors as a potential target for therapy of gliomas was investigated by in vivo scintigraphic studies using {sup 131}I{minus} or {sup 99m}{Tc}-labeled EGF in a rat brain tumor model. Our results indicate that intratumorally delivered boron- EGF conjugates might be useful for targeting EGFR on glioma cells if the boron containing moiety of the conjugates persisted intracellularly. Further studies are required, however, to determine if this approach can be used for BNCT of the rat glioma.
Date: December 31, 1994
Creator: Capala, J.; Barth, R.F.; Adams, D.M.; Bailey, M.Q.; Soloway, A.H. & Carlsson, J.
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Some recent developments in treatment planning software and methodology for BNCT

Description: Over the past several years/the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) has led the development of a unique, internationally-recognized set of software modules (BNCT rtpe) for computational dosimetry and treatment planning for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). The computational capability represented by this software is essential to the proper administration of all forms of radiotherapy for cancer. Such software addresses the need to perform pretreatment computation and optimization of the radiation dose distribution in the target volume. This permits the achievement of the optimal therapeutic ratio (tumor dose relative to critical normal tissue dose) for each individual patient via a systematic procedure for specifying the appropriate irradiation parameters to be employed for a given treatment. These parameters include angle of therapy beam incidence, beam aperture and shape,and beam intensity as a function of position across the beam front. The INEL software is used for treatment planning in the current series of human glioma trials at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and has also been licensed for research and developmental purposes to several other BNCT research centers in the US and in Europe.
Date: December 31, 1996
Creator: Nigg, D.W.; Wheeler, F.J.; Wessol, D.E.; Wemple, C.A.; Babcock, R. & Capala, J.
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Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department