Boron Neutron Capture Therapy - A Literature Review

Abstract

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a radiation science which is emerging as a hopeful tool in treating cancer, by selectively concentrating boron compounds in tumour cells and then subjecting the tumour cells to epithermal neutron beam radiation. BNCT bestows upon the nuclear reaction that occurs when Boron-10, a stable isotope, is irradiated with low-energy thermal neutrons to yield α particles (Helium-4) and recoiling lithium-7 nuclei. A large number of 10 Boron (10B) atoms have to be localized on or within neoplastic cells for BNCT to be effective, and an adequate number of thermal neutrons have to be absorbed by the 10B atoms to maintain a lethal 10B (n, α) lithium-7 reaction. The most exclusive property of BNCT is that it can deposit an immense dose gradient between the tumour cells and normal cells. BNCT integrates the fundamental focusing perception of chemotherapy and the gross anatomical localization proposition of traditional radiotherapy.

Gamma Radiography Testing of Collimators for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

“…When irradiated with low-energy neutrons (b0.4 eV), 10 B, the isotope of boron (which is delivered beforehand by drugs or antibodies that then flow through blood vessels), captures the neutron and forms 11 B. It then undergoes a nuclear reaction that results in the release of an alpha particle and a lithium nucleus, as shown in Equation 1 (Nedunchezhian et al 2016).…”

Rockwell Hardness Testing of Pure Nickel Collimators for BNCT Application

“…10 B captures the neutron and forms 11 B. The nuclear reaction releases an alpha particle and a lithium nucleus (Nedunchezhian et al 2016). These particles have a linear energy transfer of 196 keV/m and 162 keV/m, respectively, with track lengths around one cell in diameter.…”

Optimization of Collimator Aperture Geometry for BNCT Kartini Research Reactor Using McNPX

“…Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is one of the promising types of radiotherapy that is and etc., is that BNCT can selectively kill the cancer cell without undermining the surrounding healthy cell due to the high LET of the alpha particle 150 keV/µm [3], the other excellence is that the treatment cost and the time for irradiation for BNCT is lower than the conventional therapy [4,5]. BNCT also is a more economic treatment [6,7].…”