title: Cellular response of a rat brain tumor to a therapeutic carbon ion beam.
abstract: Clonogenic cell survival of in situ 9L brain tumors was measured in air-breathing rats and rats killed with nitrogen. Animals were irradiated with BEVALAC accelerated carbon ions in the plateau and spread-out Bragg peak regions of the specific ionization curve. The relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for carbon ions in the plateau was 1.2 +/- 0.1 for oxic cells and 1.3 +/- 0.1 for anoxic cells; in the Bragg peak the RBE was 1.6 +/- 0.1 for oxic cells and 2.0 +/- 0.1 for anoxic cells. The oxygen enhancement ratio (OER) in the plateau was 2.0 +/- 0.1, not significantly different from the 2.1 +/- 0.2 found for x rays. The OER in the Bragg peak was reduced to 1.7 +/- 0.1. For cells having the same radiobiological sensitivity as in situ 9L cells, the neon ion beam may be therapeutically superior; however, this does not preclude selection of the carbon ion beam in many clinical situations.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects; D002999:Clone Cells; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D007477:Ions; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010100:Oxygen; D051381:Rats; D012062:Relative Biological Effectiveness; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D007477:Ions; D010100:Oxygen