Abstract
Maximizing the efficacy of a Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) modality requires improvements in two areas: development of better boron-delivering drugs and better tailoring of the epithermal neutron beam. Previous attempts at the latter have not always been successful in predicting optimal in-phantom results, often assuming that all neutrons within a certain “useful” energy range are equally valuable for BNCT purposes. Some studies have recognized that higher energy epithermal neutrons (~10keV) and more forward-directed neutrons provide more penetrating beams. This results in higher tumor doses at centerline phantom depths. The exact effect of neutron beam energy spectrum shaping for BNCT has not been thoroughly explored. One reason for this has been the usage of inappropriate and often misleading in-air figures-of-merit.
This work was supported by the Director, Office of Energy Research, Nuclear Physics Division of the Office of High Energy and Nuclear Physics, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC03-76DF00098.
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Bleuel, D.L., Donahue, R.J., Ludewigt, B.A., Vujic, J. (2001). Development of a Neutron Energy-Biased in-Air Figure-of-Merit for Predicting in-Phantom BNCT Neutron Beam Characteristics. In: Hawthorne, M.F., Shelly, K., Wiersema, R.J. (eds) Frontiers in Neutron Capture Therapy. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1285-1_97
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1285-1_97
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